The Graceful Prisoner
by Cocobutterrox
Summary: After being captured by Macavity, Victoria is trapped in his warehouse and forced to follow his strict rules. She finds herself falling for a tall auburn tom, who happens to be Macavity's son. But being with him comes with fatal consequences.
1. Second Chance

**A/N: Hi! This is my first fanfiction, and I hope you like it. There are a few things I should explain to you first, or else you'll have no idea what you're reading. Ok, first, I was kind of too lazy to write what happened before this story took place (because I was thinking it in my head and at one point I decided to just write it down). What happened is: Victoria got kidnapped by Macavity, and Macavity erased all memories of Victoria from the Jellicles' minds (so they wouldn't go looking for her). Victoria stayed in a cell for a about a week and a half, and during that time, she met Macavity's son/henchcat, Plato. They quickly became fond of each other and one day Plato helped her escape. They were gone for about a week, hiding in dark alleys, but now Macavity has found them, and the story starts with them trying to fight off the henchcats that are recapturing Victoria. The "Vulcan Grip" is a method of making someone unconscious and was taught to Victoria by Munkustrap as a defensive maneuver. **

**Other things you should know: When I originally typed this story, I didn't separate it into chapters, so everytime there's a new chapter, it will be continuing from EXACTLY where the last chapter ended. Days won't go by without you knowing what happens during them.**

**One more thing! This story is written in past tense, but that's because it's really difficult for me to do it in present tense. Sorry if I switch around by accident. I treated it like it was written in present tense, though, because you can hear Victoria's thoughts. If this annoys you than just tell me and I'll change it! I wrote this on a road trip and originally had no intention of posting it on fanfiction, but I'm really glad I did!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own cats :'(**

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><p>I attempted to use the Vulcan Grip on a few henchcats, but they easily overpowered me. One tom scooped me up and sauntered away from the others. I didn't fight back—I knew that would just end up in more trouble. He effortlessly carried me down the alley with one paw under the back of my knees and his left arm under my back, but not before gagging me and tying my front and back paws with a strong and uncomfortable rope first. I tilted my chin up to see Plato fighting off Macavity's henchcats with just a few swings of his arm and some kicks to their guts. One of the few toms standing approached Plato. It was rare to see a cat that was taller and more muscular than Plato. He must've been as shocked as I was, for all he could do was to stare up at the henchcat, mouth agape. The larger tom spun him around and tied his paws as well, and, before the copper and white tom could say another word, was silenced by a dirty piece of cloth. The henchcat lifted Plato with ease and cradled him to avoid the possibility of him escaping. Nevertheless, Plato tried to kick his face from the position he was in. His back paw made contact with the tom's right cheek, obviously angering him. With a good punch to the smaller cat's chest, he swiftly draped Plato, who was now coughing from the sudden impact on his lungs, over his left shoulder and continued to walk beside the henchcat carrying me.<p>

We didn't try to make any muffled noises through our pieces of cloth. All we did was stare at each other. His chocolate-colored eyes said that he was sorry for not protecting me. I tried to "tell" him not to worry about it, that at one point or another, Macavity would have captured us anyway. I widened my eyes and batted my eyelashes to get the point across. The cat carrying me—I think his name was "Sulvar", from what was engraved into his utility belt—must have saw me making the Jemima-like eyes, because as soon as that happened, he turned my face away and squashed it against his unwashed, light brown fur. I tried my best to not breathe in his stench of rotten eggs. I could sense that Plato was still gazing at me, and Sulvar was watching me, too. It was uncomfortable to be still and have this on my mind.

This continued until we reached Macavity's warehouse. The henchcats carrying us, followed by the ones who had been briefly beaten by Plato, pushed through the steel doors to the back entrance. They trotted to a room six doors down the hall. There was no window and no candles. The only light came from the dimly lit hallway. The room would have been completely empty if it weren't for two back to back wooden chairs nailed into the floor in the very center. Sulvar gently set me down onto the chair and took some rope hanging from the wall, tying me down to it. I could hear Plato being roughly dropped onto the chair behind me by his goon and tied him down as well. The two criminals untied the pieces of cloth around our mouths, and I scowled at Sulvar in a threatening matter to show him I'm not always innocent and pure. He ignored the look and stepped back with the other henchcats.

"Good job. You are dismissed." Plato hissed. He could recognize his father's voice anywhere. The henchcats marched out the door in a disorderly manner. I joined Plato's hissing as the Napoleon of Crime stepped out from the shadows. As the last henchcat was stepping out, he slammed the heavy door shut. I flinched, seeing that I have sensitive ears.

"Well, I certainly didn't expect this," Macavity said smoothly. "My own tomson helps my most precious prisoner escape and runs away with her."

"You were treating her terribly!" Plato blurted out. "Who would want to stay here?" His chocolate eyes bore into Macavity's gleaming yellow ones. He wasn't afraid of him and, for a reason unknown, neither was I, even though I knew he would hurt us if he wanted to. The ginger cat wouldn't even spare an innocent, petite queen.

The Hidden Paw ignored his nasty attitude and kept his sly, cool one. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood today, Plato. The punishment for betrayal is always the death penalty, but I can't lose one of my strongest henchcats and my most…_graceful_ prisoner, so I'll give you one chance to earn my trust again." He shot his head toward me and I squeezed my eyes shut, not wanting to look at him in the face, but then he cupped my chin and tilted my head up. Afraid he was going to smack me or something, I pried my eyes open but avoided his sickening eyes. "Do you agree to be loyal to me and follow my every command?"

He may have been looking directly at me, but he was speaking to both of us.

"No, Macavity, we don't," Plato said in a surprisingly calm voice after a moment of silence. The ginger cat raised his paw and slapped _me_ across my face. I knew my left cheek was red, and I couldn't even comfort it with my paw.

"Don't hurt her!" Plato pleaded. _It's a little too late for that, Plato._ "She didn't say anything! If there's anyone to hurt, it's me. She never said that she didn't want to join you—I did. Don't take my mistakes and—"

"Shut up!" His father punched his chest harshly, adding to the large bruise that was already there from the incident that occurred before. Plato swore between his gasps for breath and I started to panic.

"Stop it! Stop it! Don't wound your own tomson! It's just not humane!" I wailed. Plato had saved my life many times before, and I couldn't just repay him by sitting there like a clueless kitten. "I p-promise that I-I'll—" I started to choke on my words and swallowed hard. "I'll b-be your prisoner. I'll d-do whatever you want, and I won't disobey you."

He leaned in closer to me. "Is that right?" "Yes," I muttered. He took a step back, and I let out my breath (which apparently I was holding in), thinking he was satisfied. Instead, I felt a sharp, painful feeling in my left shin. I let out a small cry of pain. I could sense Plato tensing up when he heard my yelp.

"Don't lie to me," Macavity sneered.

"I wasn't lying," I faintly whispered. I was only met with repeated kicks to my shins. I knew the Hidden Paw was holding back. I think he had a small liking towards me, and he showed it by never yelling and throwing less force into his beatings. He didn't stop kicking, but my shins were going numb, anyway.

"Macavity," Plato said sternly, finding his voice again. "I told you not to hurt her. She did nothing wrong and you're treating her like she's your sworn enemy. Just stop it and let her go! Please!"

The Napoleon of Crime gave one last hard kick to my right leg, and I dreaded the moment when all feeling came back to my shins. I didn't complain though—I was sure Plato was suffering and was about to suffer a LOT worse. I accidentally let out a small whimper. I regretted it because I knew Plato was going to stick up for me again and he was going to have to face the pain that would follow, and it's all because I'm acting like a wimp.

The yellow-eyed cat stepped back and observed us. He circled us and snickered when he saw me stiffen. I wasn't letting my guard down.

"What are you doing?" I was surprised by the harshness in my voice. I hoped he wouldn't overreact to it.

After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence flew by, he finally spoke. "I just looked deeper in your mind to see if you were telling the truth or not. Do you swear you'll never escape from your cell once you are my prisoner?"

I nodded, but then I decided to vocalize it, because there was no telling what he would get mad at now. "Yes, I promise."

"And furthermore, you may _never_ speak to a tom, besides me, _ever_. Are we clear?"

I bit my lip, unsure of his reaction for the next few words I wanted to say. "What about Plato? You mean I can never—"

"Speak to him. Ever. Again," he finished.

"But…will he be safe? You won't hurt him? Ever?"

"Maybe….Yes. Alright, but he will still have to be my henchcat. He really has no other option. If he runs away again—and I _will_ catch him—he will be shown no mercy. I'll claw him to death myself. Or maybe I'll electrocute him with my magic. Either way, he'll die. And you will be forced to watch. Do I make myself clear…Plato?"

"Crystal, sir," he responded in such a mocking tone it was almost hilarious.

Macavity took it as a "yes" anyway. He smirked and walked closer to Plato. I tried to direct his attention away from him to avoid any more injuries.

"Will you be kind enough to let us go now?" _What a stupid thing to say! Great job, Victoria. You've probably just earned yourself a world of pain! _He took a few steps towards me, his eyes blazing. "I'm not finished with you yet." And with that he grabbed my headfur and conjured up a knife to rest under my chin. I didn't move. I don't think I even breathed.

"Dad!" Plato started, but he stopped there. I could tell he didn't know what else to say. He has tried to defend me enough. One more outburst from him and he's a dead tom.

The ginger tom glared at his son for a second, and then directed his attention back to me. "Get up," he growled, "and follow me."

"But I'm tied to the—" I looked down and saw that the ropes no longer held me in place, but my paws were still bound together. _Magic_, I thought. The only other person I knew who was magical was my brother, Mr. Mistoffelees. My heart ached at the thought of him. He could be rescuing me by now if it wasn't for the Napoleon of Crime erasing all memories of me from the Jellicle tribe once he kitnapped me.

"Get. UP!" The yellow-eyed tom yanked me by my headfur, the knife still under my chin, to the door, leaving Plato alone in the dark room. I tried not to be scared, or at least tried not to _show_ that I was, but I failed at both. The thought that he was probably going to hurt me scared the pee out of me.

"P-P-Plato," I whispered in a dramatic voice that made me seem like I was dying. _Great way to make yourself seem pathetic, Victoria! Stop asking him to save your life! It's time you do something nice for him!_

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Plato had his head hung low. No tears were coming out (he's too strong for that), but he was obviously upset and angry with himself for letting me be alone with his father. His _killer_ father.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I already have a few more chapters typed up and ready to go, so I'll be updating frequently. Please review and tell me how I'm doing!<strong>

**NB: There is no prequel to this (even though it seems like there should be one) but I will have some flashbacks in much later chapters that show what Victoria has gone through at Macavity's warehouse before Plato fell for her and also after ;) Anyway, thanks so much for reading! **


	2. Alone with Mac

**A/N: Hello! Like I said before, I already have at least five or six chapters typed up and ready to go; it's just the matter of separating them into chapters and uploading them. There's some violence in this shortish chapter (as there is with just about every chapter!)...Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats, but Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, and the RUG do!**

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><p>I hadn't paid attention to where Macavity was taking me. He led me to a tiny cell with a lock, but with a snap of his fingers, the door flung open and I was thrown inside. But he came with me.<p>

_Aw, dang it, this is the end. There's no way to escape, is there? How nice that he took me to a place where my screams won't be heard._

I didn't get up, because the second I did, I would most likely be pushed back down. The Mystery Cat took a step towards me and snapped, unbinding the ropes on my paws, but I didn't shift a muscle. He knelt down by me and I forced myself to look into his eyes. They seemed to soften once I looked at them. That's when I realized I had been doing my impression of Jemima's eyes again. _What are you doing, Victoria? Don't show those eyes to Macavity! He doesn't deserve such kind looks! _I could tell he was trying to harden them, but he just couldn't. _Hmm_, I pondered. _Maybe if I act all cute and sweet, he'll spare me..._

Still sprawled on the floor, I brought my paw up to my face and started to lick the dirt off the white surface. I scratched my ear the way Mistoffelees would always do and then pretended to try to lick my elbow. Macavity then stood up, and I thought I had him fooled. I looked up at him with my impersonation of Jemima's eyes (oh, how I miss them!) again.

"Nice try," he snarled, kicking me in the gut just hard enough so that I would roll over, having my back face him. I wrapped my arms around my stomach so he wouldn't kick me again. He knelt down again, and this time I almost instinctually kicked at his paws and legs, not exactly knowing what I'm doing. "But you can't fool me," he whispered into my ear. He reached over my body and unwrapped my arms without difficulty and punched me in the same spot. I doubled over, though the pain wasn't intense or anything. In fact, to Plato, this would probably feel like a piece of paper thrown at him. _Aw, great, there's that knife again._ Macavity trailed the knife down my arm lightly, pretending to carve and draw things but not putting any pressure at all. _What in the world is he doing? _

"Wh-wh-what are you doing—"

"Shhhh," he said in an almost lullaby voice. _Is that what I think of his voice? Angelic? I can't believe I just thought his voice sounded peaceful... _

"If you make one more sound, I will not hesitate to draw blood."

The cool knifemade me shiver as it slid up and down my arm. "I'm going to pay a visit to your good friend Plato, who you are not allowed to talk to, remember? And I'll make sure my tomson doesn't talk to you. You know the punishment for disobedience don't you?" The knife reached my throat again. "Tell me the punishment, Victoria."

I gulped. "Death," I said with way too much confidence in my voice.

He smiled and I quivered again. _Ew, his smile is creepy. _

"Very good." _What was I, his pet? Oh, wait, technically I am. _

He made his knife disappear and then teleported away right in front of my eyes. All that was left was a cloud of smoke he used to make his departure dramatic.

"Wait!" I shouted.

To my astonishment, he came back. "What?" he said, sounding annoyed.

"What are you going to do to him?" I said through gritted teeth.

He just laughed half-heartedly, and I stood up, giving him the notion that I am being serious.

"Nothing fatal…maybe…."

"WHAT? What do you mean 'maybe'?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because…I…umm…"

"If you wish to know what will be happening, you may come with me, but I'm afraid you'll have to be tied down and have a blindfold. You won't want to see this…."

"You can't—you can't just—why won't I—don't you—GET AWAY FROM ME!" I hollered at last when he began to bind my paws together again and blindfolded me with a piece of cloth that was thin enough to see through. In a second we were transported to a dark room which was where Plato was still awkwardly sitting in the same place. At once he bombarded me with questions.

"Victoria? Vick, what did he do to you? Are you alright? Are you hurt? Where does it hurt? Can you stand by yourself? Is anything broken?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but then I remembered the deal. As much as I wanted to let him know I was okay, I didn't dare make a sound.

Plato hissed loudly. "What did you do to her?"

"Oh…nothing…" his father replied, still keeping his calm and collected attitude. "We had an agreement, remember? I am the only tom she can talk to—now and forever."

"How dare you…." Plato hissed again. Chuckling, Macavity made a cage materialize, trapping me behind its bars.

"Now Plato, we can make this easy, or we can make it fatal. It's your choice."

"M-Macavity, please stop," I stuttered. He quickly clapped his paws together twice to conjure up a gag for my mouth. "You brought this on yourself, Plato." And with that, he gave his tomson a good blow to the side of his head. Plato, being as tough as nails, didn't make a sound. In fact, I don't think it hurt him at all.

"Next time, think again before you run away from me," he whispered heavily into Plato's ear while clawing his right arm from his shoulder to his wrist. I could just see through my blindfold drops of something dark drip down from his arm—blood, I'm sure. I saw Plato bite his lip, but mostly because he was slightly afraid of what would follow. Macavity wasn't giving his all, but he would soon, and I was horrified and nervous as to what would happen next. He got a second clout to his head; it was much harder than the first one. It was followed by a ruthless kick to his side and more brutal punches all around his body. I looked away, because I knew if I kept on watching, I would break down in tears. At one point I heard Plato moan softly. I saw a small glimpse of the scene: Both of Plato's legs had three large gashes going down its sides. I couldn't take it anymore. Trying to distract Macavity, I threw myself against the cage's bars to create loud and annoying noises.

Macavity swiped Plato's cheek with his claws one last time before turning to me. I could barely see, but I knew there was no guilt in his eyes.

He made the cage vanish and cut the ropes around my paws with a couple swift swipes of his nails. I took the opportunity to try to scratch his face, but he picked me up the same way Sulvar had done a few hours ago and started to rock me gently as if I was a newborn kitten. But I was not going to calm down and instead, I tugged his long, greasy headfur to get him to put me down. I tried scratching his face, but every time I drew blood, it would fade away until he looked exactly the same way he had before. He carried me away but stopped at the exit.

"Get well soon, Plato," he said sardonically before leaving the room. Plato was still tied down and he was sighing like mad. It took me a few seconds to realize that he was actually having trouble breathing.

"Aren't you at least going to help him get better?" I said hard-heartedly.

He just cackled his signature laugh. "Plato is a strong tom. He can handle this himself."

"Well, why don't I help him? I won't talk to him, I promise!" _Yeah, like he's going to agree to that. _

He laughed again, though it was much louder than the first time. My ears jerked at the sudden noise.

He simply stated, "No," and continued walking. The ginger cat tossed me into my cell, locked the door, and peeked through the bars.

"I'll be testing you tomorrow," he began, "to see if you really are loyal to me. Have a good night's sleep." He turned around and started to leave, but then he called to me over his shoulder.

"And Victoria, don't even think about breaking out."

I curled up into a ball against the wall at the far end of the cell. I didn't even blink, let alone close my eyes fully to fall asleep. I couldn't stop thinking about the horrible things he would do to Plato and me. And what about that test he was talking about? What was that all about? Why does he have to be such a stubborn cat? I fell asleep with these thoughts in my head without even knowing it. In my head, I could hear Macavity say, "Sweet dreams," but I had no dreams at all that night. How could I with him haunting my mind every second of every day?

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Please review! I love critique! Or if you just want to share your thoughts about this, I would love that too :D Your support means a lot :) Next chapter should be posted tomorrow!<strong>


	3. A Dance for Two

**A/N: Hey Hey Hey! Once again, there is some violence in this chapter. Plus, I did not choreograph the dance Victoria does except for some tiny parts of it. I basically just took the dance from the movie when Victoria was doing the invitation to the ball after the Naming of Cats. I hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Cats. They belong to the great Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, and the RUG.**

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><p>I woke up suddenly to the clanging of something on metal. I shot up from the rusty cell floor and scurried to the bars of my small chamber. The corners of my mouth started to turn upward when I saw Plato patrolling the hallway my cell was a part of, but I soon understood what was really going on—this was the test Macavity was talking about. I scrunched my face together at the thought of it. I scanned Plato and saw that he still had some dried blood on his arms, legs, and face, but he still walked normally, as if he never had any injuries in the first place. Him being exceptionally tall, I could not see much of him when he stopped at my cell. He knelt down and looked me straight in the eyes. Acting on impulse, I immediately grabbed his arm and started licking him clean. He began to open his mouth to protest but stopped himself. After a few minutes, he was licked clean, and I hadn't said a word the entire time. My tongue felt rough and numb.<p>

He continued to stare at me with his soft brown eyes. I hadn't noticed I was trembling and he put his paws on my shoulders to make me stop.

"Thank you," he whispered.

As soon as he said that, I brushed his paws off my shoulders and pushed him away. I couldn't believe my actions. Plato didn't leave, though. He merely turned to face me again.

"Victoria, I promise you I'll—"

"You'll what?" a voice interrupted. The Hidden Paw appeared behind Plato and wrapped his arm around his neck. The father and tomson were about the same height, though Plato was little on the shorter side compared to him. Because of this, Macavity was stronger than Plato, so he could not pry his father's arm off.

"Dad, I wasn't—she didn't—"

Plato was abruptly cut off when Macavity slammed him against the wall and banged his head on it repeatedly. Once he believed Plato had enough, he pushed him to the side and the white and auburn tom fell to the floor. He was still conscious but didn't dare leave.

"You are not a very good student, are you?" I jerked my head back when he tried to slap me, making him miss."I'm not letting you out of my sight," Macavity hissed. "Plato, you may resume your duty."

Plato got up, tilting slightly from his dizziness. "Um, what hall?"

Macavity smirked. "Continue with this one." _He's going to torture me, I know it. And right in front of Plato, too!_

Plato began strolling down the aisle, never taking his eyes off my cell. Macavity entered but I sat still. I'm not a complete weakling, and I am going to show that I can be tough sometimes.

"So Victoria," he said smoothly, "let's have a little conversation, shall we?"

"No." What were we going to talk about anyway? I hesitated and sighed. "Talk about what?"

"Anything you like. I figured since you will be here for a while, we might as well get to know each other. Don't you agree?"

"I…guess."

He chuckled. "Good. Now, I understand you like dancing?"

Dang it, he found my weakness! "I don't want to talk about it…with you." I looked behind Macavity and saw Plato ambling past my cell. I bet he was listening attentively. I sighed again and decided it would be best not to go against Macavity. "Why don't we talk about something you like to do…you know, besides killing?"

He laughed wholeheartedly this time. "Alright. I love to use my magic to defy laws. I love to mess with cats' minds and drive them insane. I _especially_ love to torture cats. And I love talking to my favorite prisoner." He smiled in a creepy fashion.

"Um, why?" It was the only way I could reply to what he had just said.

He started picking dirt from underneath his nails. "I just do. But only when they behave. Or else I'll have to hurt them…." He glared at me and I heard Plato's feet stop shuffling. Macavity leaned in closer and murmured, "And we wouldn't want that, would we?" I roughly shook my head no. He leaned back again. "Good. Now tell me, Victoria, what do you think of your…_vacation_ away from the junkyard?"

This time, _I_ leaned towards _him_, my fear leaving me. "Honestly, I hate it. You're ruining it for me. And frankly, how could you ask such a stupid question like that? Do I look like I'm enjoying myself?"

He resisted the urge to strike me. Instead, he thwacked my forehead and continued to lecture me on what would happen if I replied "incorrectly" again.

"You asked for my opinion. You should've known that was what I was going to say." My confidence was starting to scare me, so I toned it down a little. "How would you feel if someone catnapped you?"

"I'll be asking the questions!" he bellowed. It didn't startle me. I have gotten used to Macavity's random outbursts. "Anyway, back to your hobbies. May I see some of your dancing?"

Was this some kind of trap he was leading me to? "Why do you want to see?"

"Because I understand you are the most charming dancer in the whole Jellicle tribe, correct? I just want to see if it's true."

"Well, I'm not," I replied, being modest. "I believe everyone is equally wonderful at dancing."

"That's not what I heard. Just show me a few moves." He was being so sincere, and I didn't want him to go back to being enraged at my naughtiness.

"Fine. But there's no room in here, anyway."

Macavity grinned. "Not a problem." And with a snap of his fingers, we were in a large, candlelit room. I gasped slightly, making his grin widen. He pushed me to the center and stepped back to watch. I tried to pretend like he wasn't here by closing my eyes, which would hopefully let me concentrate on my dancing. I brought my left arm back and raised my right leg up to reach my paw. I lifted it as close to my head as I could get it. Next, I slowly swung my leg around in a half-circle, knee bent, and eyes still shut. I straightened my leg and raked through it with my left paw, surprised at how matted my fur had gotten. From there, I raised my knee up so that it was almost touching my body and slowly straightened my leg so it was alongside my body. After standing on the tips of my back paw for a second, I quickly brought my leg down and slid into the splits. I swerved my front leg to meet my back leg behind me and clawed the air. Rolling onto my back, I had my legs perpendicular to the floor and wiggled my feet in the air. I came back down and bent myself in half, my ankles gracefully crossing each other, while I balanced myself and tightened my core. It was the end of my dance, but I didn't want to stop. Getting up, I did a quick double pirouette. I still did not open my eyes as I did a front walkover and elegantly landed in an arabesque. Out of the blue, I felt strong paws lift me up and twirl me in the air, still in the same position. Macavity set me down and I froze. My eyes were still shut. I was mad at him for thinking that he could just interrupt my dance like that.

"That was beautiful," he remarked. I kept my eyes closed and crossed my arms.

"Great. Glad you liked it," I snorted. "And next time, please let me dance _alone_. I didn't appreciate you picking me up and twirling me around like that."

"I apologize," he responded. "But don't tell me you didn't enjoy that."

"I didn't," I scoffed. "Now will you leave me alone?"

He clenched his fists and gnashed his fangs. "You ungrateful little kitten! I give you a chance to prove yourself loyal, I didn't hurt you as much as I could have, and I let you continue your silly hobbies while you're here, and you don't even thank me for any of it?"

I squeezed my eyes even harder together as I screamed back, "Thank you for what? Thank you for not killing me even though I did nothing wrong?" At once I was pushed into a wall, tripping on my own feet as I went. He slapped me harder than usual, but I didn't cry or make a sound. I just stood there, arms crossed, eyelids locked in place. He sighed and swore under his breath, wondering what he will do with me. Then, the unthinkable happened—he uncrossed my arms and wrapped his own around me in a tight hug. The Napoleon of Crime. Was. HUGGING ME! I couldn't believe it myself. My eyes flung open and I stared straight ahead, my arms glued to my sides.

After what seemed like forever, he finally let go of his embrace and we stood there awkwardly.

"Um," I began, not exactly knowing what to say, "what was that for?"

"I forgive you for acting so rudely," he responded. "You obviously have a lot to learn if you want to be comfortable here."He took a few steps toward me and I forced myself not to move. But then his paws shot out and grabbed my wrists, holding them behind me.

"Lesson Number One," he whispered, his breath hot in my ear. "Don't defy me." At that, he kicked the back of my knees, causing them to buckle, and I fell with a thud to the floor of the candlelit room.

"Lesson Number Two," he continued. "NEVER make me apologize ever again." He stepped on my back and I fell flat on my stomach.

Stooping down, his back paw still on my spine, he grunted, "And Lesson Number Three: Don't talk back to me, you ignorant, petty, little queen." He put more pressure on my back, and, afraid he was going to hurt me, I squealed long and loud. The other henchcats must've heard me, because they came running down the aisle at once. Right when the door opened, Macavity picked me up and hurled me at three of his henchcats. He spat in my face and I instinctually closed my eyes once again.

"Take her back to her cell," the yellow-eyed tom screeched. "Now!"

The three toms, one of them being Sulvar, pushed me over and over again until we were at my cell.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" shouted a familiar baritone voice.

"Oh, hey Plato. We were just taking this naughty little queen to her cell," replied the largest of the three henchcats.

"Well…I've been given orders from Macavity that she…needs to…um…come with me…somewhere," Plato lied. I had to fight back giggles. These henchcats are so dim-witted!

"Okay then. Here 'ya go." And with that he gave one last hard push towards Plato and he caught me when I almost fell. Then, the henchcat tilted forward and whispered into Plato's ear. "Watch out, though. She's a feisty one." He chortled and wandered off with the smaller henchcats.

Once they were out of sight, I burst out in a fit of giggles. "Nice lie!" I said sarcastically.

He chuckled while wiping Macavity's spit from my face. "They may be tough, but they're also morons."

I let out even more giggles until I saw Plato's face turn serious.

"He must have mistreated you," he stated sympathetically, referring to Macavity.

"Why do you say that?"

"Your knees are bleeding." He pointed.

"Huh? Oh…" I trailed off, looking down to see two large red spots on my legs. I must have scratched them when I fell onto the floor. "Yeah, he kind of kicked me and stuff…and I fell on the floor…but I'm okay, really." But Plato didn't believe me. In a few minutes I was licked spotless by him.

"Thank you." I smiled. "Whoa," I realized. "Déjà vu!"

He laughed heartily and I beamed at him. But then I remembered where we were and where I was supposed to be.

"I have to go back to my cell. Macavity will find us." As soon as I said that, the Hidden Paw's face flashed in my mind.

"You bet he will," he said in his sly voice in my head.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Plus, a special thank you to Cassieteazer for reviewing my first two chapters! <strong>

**Review, please! Next chapter will be up tomorrow!**

**NB: This is me from the future. Another thank you to all those who have reviewed my first two chapters xD haha. Everyone who has supported me is mentioned on my profile! (If you are a guest, I highly suggest you give yourself a name ;) haha).**


	4. The Execution

**A/N : Hiya! So, the last chapter stopped when Macavity communicated with Victoria by sending a mind message after Vicky broke his rules, and this new chapter will start right there. I can't exactly say that there is violence, but...there is something like that...how specific am I :/ Anyway, I hope you like it! It's a little weird...**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats *le gasp***

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><p>I gasped out loud and pushed Plato away.<p>

"Go! You need to go now!" I bawled. Terrified of what was going to happen, I crumpled to the ground and panted heavily. "Macavity's coming," I whispered through gasps for air. Part of me felt ashamed for panicking so much, but the other part told me I had a right to feel this way. Macavity had already given me one too many chances, and who knows what he would do now?

"Macavity's coming!" I repeated, this time raising my voice. I didn't want to be so cruel to Plato, but if he just stood there, we would both get killed. "Please, just go!" I wailed. This was so out of character for me. But Plato knew I meant well, so he dashed to another hall and pretended to patrol it, peeking around the corner now and again.

Macavity never came, but his presence still lingered around in my mind. He was waiting for Plato to come back for me, so he can strike. Plato never came either, because I'm pretty sure he understood what was going on.

It became night and I was still curled up in a ball against the wall by my cell. It was a little better, actually, then being in the cell itself. It was cold and dusty in there, and I felt so restrained. I stared at the wall opposite from me for hours. At one point a dead mouse slid from another hall and landed right in front of my paws.

"Thank you, Plato," I whispered mostly to myself as I gulped down my dinner.

About an hour after supper, I heard a henchcat tell Plato it was his shift to guard that area. But Plato firmly said no, that he is willing to stay up all night patrolling the area. The other henchcat backed off and left him alone in the hall. It was comforting to know Plato was near, and with this in mind, I gently drifted to sleep.

"Get up!"

I sat up and rubbed my eyes until my vision was no longer bleary. No one was there. _Macavity must be messing with my mind again_, I thought.

"That's _riii-iight_," he said in a disturbing voice, followed by maniacal laughter that could belong to only one cat.

"Your cell door is open," he said, his voice clear as daylight in my head. "You'll find some leftovers of my breakfast. Enjoy."

Leftovers? Oh, well, food is food, and I'd rather eat the Mystery Cat's scraps than starve. I crawled into my cell, too tired to get up, and found bits and pieces of mice and fish lying in a dusty corner. I nibbled each piece until there wasn't a crumb left behind.

"Satisfied?" a voice in front of me asked. I glanced upwards to see a set of piercing yellow eyes glare back. I nodded, trying not to anger him again. He snickered and offered me his paw to get up. To keep myself from being bad-mannered, I gently took his paw and he pulled me up. A sinister smile played on his lips when he saw how sleepy I looked. My eyes were slightly droopy and I yawned every now and then. He yanked my arm to the exit and started up the hall, making a left, and down a wider hallway I haven't seen before.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked unenthusiastically.

"I'm going to show you what happens if you keep up your mischievous manner. This should straighten you out." He shot me a menacing glance and I shuddered a bit.

Macavity entered and pulled me in a super large room which, once again, would be completely empty if it weren't for a wooden chair in the center, where a trembling adult black and white queen was strapped down. On the back wall stood about thirty of Macavity's henchcats chatting with one another, one of which was Plato. He saw me stumble in and looked at me with terrified, wide eyes. He pushed through the henchcats in front of him and made his way to Macavity and me.

"What are you thinking? You can't bring her here!" Plato violently whispered to his father. I was slightly offended by his remark. Was he saying that I'm too weak to watch whatever was about to happen?

Macavity furiously hissed at his tomson. "She needs to understand that I'm not kidding around when I say the punishment for misbehaving is death." He spat the last word out with so much venom I cringed. "Now go back to your place. The execution is about to begin."

Plato huffed and stormed off. I turned to Macavity with earnest eyes.

"Don't make me watch this. It'll haunt me…" I glanced back at the queen, who was now shaking more than ever. I turned my attention back to Macavity. "What did she even do?"

"She ran away," he responded, "but was caught in less than a day. Unfortunately, I had no use for her…and here she is now." He gestured towards her. She had started to lose control of her mind and was desperately trying to escape.

"You had no…_use_ for her? So you have a use for me?" My voice was rising and a few toms turned to watch the scene.

The ginger tom laughed lackadaisically. "I figured you could entertain me with your dancing and cheekiness, but you have proved yourself to be troublesome and disobedient, which is just what I dread about you. Now stand over there with the henchcats and _don't say a word!_" He shoved me towards the large, talkative group of toms across the room, and I stood by a particular tiger-striped cat with one grey eye and one green eye.

Macavity stood before the queen and cleared his throat rather obnoxiously. All his henchcats turned to face him, and a silence fell upon the room.

"My fellow comrades," Macavity proclaimed, "we are gathered here today to witness the execution of Cosette, who fled from our warehouse and was recaptured in just under twenty hours." At this statement, some of the toms snickered and laughed at the foolishness of the queen. Others who were a part of the mission to find her reencountered the memory of that night. The tiger-striped tom with the distinct eyes whispered something to the cat next to him, cracking them both up.

"Thank you, thank you. I would also like to welcome our special guest who will be watching the execution with us. Please direct your eyes to the white queen among your crowd."

At once, all the henchcats in the room glared at me. Several cats spat at my feet. I tried to back away but stepped on a tom's back paw behind me. He fiercely shoved me forward, causing me to bump into the somewhat large tom in front of me. The newly angered tom pushed me back, and before I knew it, I was being shoved between these two henchcats, causing a commotion.

Macavity didn't seem to care. "That is Victoria. You may speak to her but do NOT let her speak to you. I give you permission to beat her senseless if she does."

WHAT?

"Now, without further ado, I give you the Execution of Cosette!" he declared, as if presenting a theatrical play to his audience. The toms cheered (except Plato, who leaned quietly against the wall).

Macavity motioned for it to be quiet, then stepped back. He concentrated on his front paws until we could see sparks flying out from them. _Oh my Everlasting Cat, he's going to kill her with magic!_ Plato seemed to think the same thing and looked at me with worried eyes. I bit my lip and turned to see Macavity's paws could barely be seen anymore with all the flashes and sparks. He inhaled deeply, and then grunted when he directed the lightning towards the black and white queen. She gave one last wail before there was a huge _zap!_ and a blinding white light. My ears twitched wildly at the noise. When the light had faded away, I turned to see what had become of the poor queen, but I realized an auburn paw started to cover my eyes and a white and copper arm was holding me close. Plato had made his way over to me just in time to keep me from staring at what must be a horrifying sight in front of me. He exhaled, glad I wasn't able to see the dead queen.

Suddenly, a carroty arm pulled me away and removed Plato's paw from my eyes. He shoved me to the ground and yanked my headfur up so that I would be facing the scene before me. I took a sharp intake of breath and tried to crawl backwards, but Macavity held on tight, forcing me to continue staring at what was now the black and white cat.

She was now a lonesome pile of ash in the center of the floor. A few calico toms, including the one with the multi-colored eyes, stomped on what was left of her jokingly and cackled as they went back to their duties. One of them shouted, "Hey, thanks Mac! You have got to do that more often!" Macavity smiled at the toms then wore a cold expression on his face when turning to face me.

"That could be you in a couple of days," he warned. "Don't break my rules again. We had an agreement, and it would be such a shame to see your pretty little face go up in flames." Then, he yanked me up on my feet and walked me back to my cell. After throwing me in, he wished me a "good day" and then leisurely walked back to his office.

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><p><strong>Please review! Thanks for reading! I should be posting the next couple chapters up daily, so stay tuned for more!<strong>

**Oh, and Les Miserables reference, anyone? xD Sorry...that was...kind of random :D**


	5. Intervention of a Henchcat

**A/N: Hiya! In this chapter we'll meet a new henchcat. I did not choreograph the dance Victoria does in this chapter at the beginning (except for the fouette and pirouette turn at the beginning. That was ALL ME! Haha yeah…) She did the dance in the movie during the Jellicle Ball before she and Plato did the pas de deux. It might be kind of hard to understand the description, so if you haven't seen the movie, I recommend watching it, but it's not really necessary.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats...never have...never will...**

**PS: I took my love for Sign Language and decided to add it in this chapter. Plato only taught Victoria the alphabet, so they aren't making any other gestures, but they just spell things out. I can't imagine how long that would take...even though that's what I usually do when I speak. I'm not exactly completely fluent yet…but I can say "Eat your spaghetti if you are hungry." :D Okay sorry back to the story…**

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><p>I observed a mouse scuttling along a wall in my miniature chamber. I waited for the right time, then pounced on it and snacked on the raw meat. I had nothing to do and was utterly bored out of my mind. I stood up in the cramped cell and made an elegant fouette turn, followed by a perfect single pirouette. I lifted my leg into an arabesque and bended my supporting leg. Pivoting to the side, I turned my arabesque so that it would have been parallel to the floor, had it not been bent so much (which was on purpose!) I looked to the ceiling and stretched before sashaying to the left and sweeping my leg up. After that, I went into another arabesque with my opposite foot, then swooped my leg up eloquently as I turned to face forward. I leaned back with poise and stared up at the ceiling. Usually I'd be doing this dance outside in the clearing at the junkyard, and during this move, I would stare at the stars for a while before relaxing my back. This time, there was nothing to stare dreamily at, so I went back into standing position, sighing.<p>

"Do it again," commanded the Mystery Cat.

I spun on my foot and marched right up to his face, narrowing my eyes as I stared him down through the bars. This was no time for games!

"No! You cannot just command me to dance! It's a way for me to express myself, not a way to amuse you! How would you like it if I made you dance 24/7, hmm? Don't get me wrong, I love dancing. But if it's for you, I won't do it. _Especially_ not after what happened last time."

I was shocked to see a smile on his face. "I'm impressed. Not many prisoners are strong enough to talk back to me." He thrust his arm inside the cell and pressed his paw onto my shoulder, triggering a pressure point. I slowly fell on my knees, which caused my wounds from yesterday to reopen. The carroty tom did not remove his paw from my shoulder, even after trying to shrug it off. "I still wouldn't recommend doing it, though," he said, adding more pressure. I scratched his arm, causing him to pull away. His blood seemed darker than that of a regular cat's, but then again, Macavity was not "regular". After a moment of silence, he leaned in closer and I jolted backwards. I can't believe I made him furious _again_.

"I don't know what I am going to do to you," he hissed, "but it will be awful. Prepare yourself for tonight. And don't expect me to show any mercy for your pitiful self."

I tried to hold back the tears, but they just kept rolling down my cheeks.

"Don't give me that," he scoffed heartlessly. "You'll be forced to show up and there's no escaping it. Don't try to change my mind." He swiveled on his heel and was about to leave, but my sniffling and snuffling made his broad shoulders relax and he walked toward me again. I don't know why he had sudden mood changes all the time. Sometimes it would catch me by surprise, and sometimes I could see it coming a mile away. I backed up more when he started to step closer to the bars of the cell.

"Look, I'm sorry," he said, rubbing my tears off my face. "But you brought this on yourself." I remembered he had said those exact words to Plato the first day I was recaptured and imprisoned once more. Plato had suffered a brutal beating after those words were spoken. I widened my eyes at the thought of that and shrieked deafeningly. I was so taken aback by my shrill I looked as dumbfounded as the random henchcat that was patrolling the hall.

Immediately, I stammered, "I'm s-s-sorry! Don't h-h-hurt me! I didn't mean to do th-that!" He didn't look too convinced. I felt his paw make contact with my cheek. His slaps were getting harder every time.

"What is the matter with you?" he fumed.

"I-I-I th-thought y-y-you w-were—" I was so petrified at this point that I pretended to faint. I fell back against the floor of the chamber with my legs bent at my bloodied knees.

Macavity's face was unreadable. "How weak of you to defend yourself by pulling a fake stunt," he tsked. "Adolph!"

The brown and white spotted cat on patrol froze. "Yes sir?"

"I have some planning to do for tonight, so have a little…_talk_ with Victoria, if you know what I mean."

The henchcat turned his mouth into a spine-chilling smile. "With pleasure, Mac."

Macavity exited the chamber and motioned Adolph to enter. He closed the entrance with a bang and seemed to trust this henchcat enough to leave him alone with me. I didn't budge from my position on the ground.

"Your knees are bleeding," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Old news, buddy," I said, rolling my eyes.

He got down on one knee by my right side. "I don't like your attitude," he said and punched me in the gut. The sudden force brought my knees up toward my face, and I did a backwards somersault before getting up on my feet and plastering myself against the wall. "Not cool, buddy!" I panted.

"Stop calling me that! And don't be such a weakling," he jeered, blowing nonexistent dust off his fist. "I heard Macavity's finally gonna discipline you tonight. I wouldn't miss it for the world." He smiled evilly. "I might as well get you ready for that." He stepped closer, and this time, I did as well.

"Stop trying to be threatening, because it is not working. You couldn't hurt a queen if you tried."

His face didn't look the least bit flustered. "You ignorant, petite kitten. You don't even know what's coming to you, do you?"

"No," I replied innocently. "But I do know what's coming to you." I swatted his arm away as I reached for his throat and used the Vulcan Grip on him. The Vulcan Grip used a mixture of gagging and taking advantage of pressure points to make your opponent temporarily unconscious. "Sweet dreams, buddy," I snickered. I jabbed his body with my foot until he was rolled into a corner. I then proceeded to sit on his back, so he wouldn't get up as easily as he think he would once he returns to consciousness. I made myself comfortable and began to hum a song about my uncle Bustopher Jones. Who cares if I was hurting his spine? It's not like he could feel it. Besides, he deserves it after acting so rudely! Someone ought to teach this cat some lessons!

A few minutes later he still wasn't awake. And he says I'm a weakling! I spotted a large rat scamper across his neck. After easily slaughtering it, I stuffed it into my mouth.

After some time I became bored. He wasn't supposed to be asleep for this long. I began braiding his headfur and styling it in queen-like ways. He finally started shifting around uncomfortably.

"Huh? Wha—" he inquired groggily. He noticed I was sitting on him and I gave him a small wave. "Hey, buddy!" I said in a fake cheerful voice.

He snapped back to his senses. "G-Get off of me!" he hollered.

"Hmm…I don't know," I thought out loud, frustrating him on purpose. "Do you promise not to tell Macavity that his favorite prisoner made one of his best henchcats become unconscious? _And_ you won't tell him that I talked to a tom?

"What? No!"

"Alright then, I guess I'll just sit here—"

"Okay, okay! I promise I won't say a word."

I smirked and got up. He did too, cursing under his breath.

I raised my eyebrows. "What was that?"

"Nothing! Nothing, I swear," he said, his arms up in surrender.

I giggled silently to myself. "You can leave now," I said, regaining my composure and motioning towards the door with my head. Once I heard his footsteps completely fade away, I started to guffaw obnoxiously. A tabby henchcat came by and kicked the bars of my cell, signaling me to shush myself. Unfortunately, that made me laugh even harder.

"Don't make me come in there!" the tabby said fiercely.

"Sorry! I—Um, forget I said anything," I said quickly, realizing my mistake.

"Whatever," the henchcat said, exasperated, and continued his stroll.

I leaned against the wall, letting the last of my giggles slip out. I have never had so much control over a tom before! I replayed the scenario over in my mind but paused when I recalled him saying, "I might as well get you ready for that." Ready for what? What was he talking abou—Oh, I completely forgot about Macavity's plan tortuous plans for me tonight. I started pacing back and forth in the confined space. No way was I going to let this happen, but he said he wouldn't change his mind, and I could tell he meant it.

"I never knew you were that tough."

I whipped myself around and saw myself looking into those dark coffee-colored eyes.

"Plato!" I sprinted to the bars of the cell. He was referring to incident that had just occurred. "Thank the Everlasting Cat you are here! Macavity's gonna…Macavity's gonna…." I soon found myself in tears. How could I have been crying tears from laughter just a few minutes ago and now I'm crying tears from terror? Not to mention I had just broken the rules _again_.

"I know, I heard," he muttered, wiping tears from my face.

"I-I-I can't talk to you," I grumbled piteously.

Plato thought for a moment. "Remember I taught you the alphabet for that language back in your first week staying with Macavity?"

I recalled the moment that occurred nearly a month ago and nodded. "You talk by shaping your paws in different ways."

"That's right. Well, the humans call it Sign Language. My dad's friend taught it to me when I was really young, I'm not sure if you remember it, but—" I cut him off by saying "I remember" with my paws. He smiled and continued to interact with me that way.

"I'm going to help you escape," he signaled.

I widened my eyes in shock. "What? When?" I signaled back.

"Tonight. Before Macavity…." I indicated to him not to finish that sentence.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'll ask for the keys from one of those mindless henchcats. They won't even suspect what's going on."

I frowned. "How will we get pass Macavity?"

Plato sighed. "I don't know. We'll have to improvise. It will be nightfall in just a couple of hours, and we need to get you out before then."

"It's risky…but I'll do anything to get away from this dump." He beamed at me, and I grinned back. "When should we go?"

"I'll come get you when it's time." He stood up and left, leaving me to ponder about how to keep this a secret from Macavity.I decided to take a nap to clear my head for a little while. I went to a corner and brushed the cobwebs away, then curled into a ball like those armadillo creatures and shut my eyes until I gently drifted to sleep.

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><p><strong>Things should start to get interesting in the now. Get yourself ready for a big twist in the next chapter! Stay tuned for tomorrow!<strong>

**Thanks for reading, and please review! Reviews always make me smile (and faint, in a good way!). Critique is VERY welcome!**


	6. The Shamming

**A/N: Who's ready for a twist? If I don't have the next chapter up by tomorrow, it's because I'm still typing it. I'll try to update around twice a week, if not more :) Read and prepare to be HORRIFIED...**

**DISCLAIMER: staC nwo t'ond I (I'm not sure why I typed it like that. I guess I really am insane.) Oh, and I also don't own the song "All About Us", which I included in this chapter. It belongs to t.A.T.u. I wasn't exactly planning on having a songfic because I'm usually not a HUGE fan of them (except for some exceptions), but I really like this song and I thought that it would fit :)**

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><p>"Vicky, wake up!"<p>

I opened one eye and saw Plato nudging me awake in my cell. "You need to get up, now!"

"Oh, sorry," I replied, still not fully awake. He grabbed my paw and started trotting out of the cell until he realized I was being dragged by him.

"Can't you move your back paws?" he whispered harshly.

"Sorry," I said again with a twinge of guilt. _This is not the time to be lazy, Victoria!_ Despite my apology, I continued to be dragged along by Plato. He pressed up against a wall where we could hear Macavity laughing with a henchcat in another room. _Oh, good, we're stopping._ I shut my eyes again and collapsed against Plato, trying to continue my nap.

He shoved me away. "Now's not the time!"

I massaged my sore neck. "Sorry," I said for the third time. "I'm just tired."

Plato's ears perked up and I did the same.

"Yes, yes, I've scheduled it for tonight. All my best henchcats will be there…" Macavity was saying. I started to peek around the corner, but Plato pushed me back.

"Stay here," he commanded. I gave him a weary thumbs up and yawned. He gave me a bizarre look and I shooed him away. He turned the corner and started walking down the hall to Macavity's room, occasionally glancing back to make sure I was still there. He rapped on the door and entered without a response from Macavity. I eavesdropped carefully on what Plato was saying.

"Sir?" Plato said, stepping into the room.

Macavity's voice had a slight cheeriness to it. "Ah, hello, Plato! Is there a problem you would like to ask me about?"

"Yes, sir…dad…um, well, you see, Victoria escaped." My eyebrows shot up and I silently gasped to myself. What was he doing?

"Her cell door is open," he continued, "and I think I found some of her fur leading down the East Hall."

The tom that was already in Macavity's office began to speak. "I'll go after her, Mac. She can't be gone too far."

"Good," Macavity replied. "Search the East Side of the warehouse."

"I'll search the West Side, Sir," Plato nervously offered. "Just in case."

There was a short pause. My breath started to quicken. I tried to convince myself that Plato knew what he was doing, but Macavity could see through any lie.

"Plato, if this is one of your lies to help your little queen friend escape, I'll—"

"It's not, I promise. I'm…over her now," he said reluctantly. "She's no good. I'm tired of helping her solve all her problems. She needs to know she can't count on me all the time, that she can't..."

An awkward silence followed his cruel but fake statements that he never finished. After a few minutes ticked by slowly, Macavity suddenly broke the silence.

"Good. I'm glad we're clear on that." _What? Clear on what? _It clicked in my mind that they must have been sending mind messages to each other.

Right then, about four henchcats strolled down the hall from the East Side. They were joking around and elbowing each other teasingly. One of them—the unusually large tom that had captured Plato when we had first escaped—stopped them all and pointed, dumbfounded, at my cell with the bars wide open.

"Everlasting Cat, she's escaped!" he remarked. At once, they all jogged to Macavity's office and barged in.

"Macavity, the white queen, she's—"

"Yes, I know, I know," the Hidden Paw interrupted. "I want you and a few other henchcats to go search the East Side."

"But what about—"

"The West Side?" the ginger tom finished. "I'll have Plato handle that area. You are dismissed."

The six henchcats rushed out of the room, all of them turning to the east but Plato. I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, as if something seemed out of place. Why would Macavity say that he and Plato are "clear on that" unless they were on the same side? I figured Plato was just pretending, but, to be honest, he wasn't the best liar. Any kitten with a proper education would be able to tell if he was telling the truth or not, let alone Macavity.

"Let's go!" Plato hissed. He yanked me down the long, empty hall, where I saw a steel door at the end. I wasn't running fast enough for Plato, so he constantly tugged my arm, jerking me forward. I caught up to him and skidded to a stop at the door. I attempted to open it, but Plato pushed me aside and, with a grunt, flung it open and pushed me out. He picked me up and dangled me over his shoulder. He began sprinting away from the building and weaved in and out of alleys. I looked to the sky and noticed a first quarter moon gleaming down on me. Once it became full, the Jellicles would have their annual ball. Tears were forming in my eyes and started to drip down to the ground (since I'm upside-down, they don't roll down my face). _Don't cry Victoria_, I thought. _Plato is helping you escape right now, remember? He'll take you to the junkyard in no time. Just close your eyes…and relax…_.

At one point during a sweet dream where I was back in the junkyard, I felt my left side suddenly ache. I lifted my heavy eyelids and observed the scene around me. I had been set down on the edge of a large, deep stream of water. It was past midnight, but still too dark to see all the specific details in the habitat around me. To my left, Plato was towering over me. _What, you couldn't just shake me awake? Was kicking really necessary? _

"Hey, Plato, what was that for?" I asked loosely. He pulled me up with such force he reminded me of Macavity. I squinted at his toffee-brown eyes in the dark. They weren't Macavity's. Why was Plato treating me so roughly all of a sudden?

Without warning, he grabbed my headfur and shoved my face into the water. I struggled to breathe and wriggled under his firm grasp on my head. After about twenty seconds, he snapped my head out of the water and threw me to the side. I lay motionless on the dirt ground, coughing and sputtering helplessly.

"It's for being a whiny brat," he shot back, sounding just like his father. "Do you know how much physical pain you have caused me ever since you've been around? Every time _you_ break Macavity's rules, _I_ have to take the punishment. But you obviously don't care about me, so why should I care about you?"

I sat up, dazed by his choice of words.

"That's not true," I said quietly, so I wouldn't raise his temper anymore, "and you know it. I'm sorry for all the pain I've caused you Plato, I really am, but why did you get so angry all of a sudden? It's your father, isn't it? You're scared of Macavity."

"Stop," he said through gritted teeth. "I am loyal to Macavity, and you should be too. If you haven't noticed, this isn't a game, it's _serious_. You're just too stupid to comprehend everything. You should know I can't be with you. You're…unlovable."

I wasn't sure if these were his own words or if Macavity was poisoning his mind. I stood up all the way, took a deep breath, and began to sing in a tiny voice.

"_They, say_

_Don't, trust_

_You, me_

_We, us_

_So we'll, fall_

_If we, must_

'_Cause it's you, me_

_And it's all about, it's all about,_

_It's all about us, all about us,_

_It's all about, all about us,_

_All about us_

_And that's the thing that they can't touch_

'_Cause you know, ah-ah_

_It's all about us, all about us,_

_It's all about, all about us_

_All about us_

_We'll run away if we must,_

'_Cause you know, ah-ah_

_It's all about us, it's all about us,_

_It's all about love, it's all about us,_

_In you I can trust, it's all about us,_

_It's all about us."_

Plato's back was facing me, but I could tell he didn't feel the slightest bit moved. I secretly scowled at him but didn't stop singing. I strengthened my voice a bit.

"_If, they,_

_Hurt, you,_

_They, hurt,_

_Me, too_

_So, we'll,_

_Rise, up,_

_Won't, stop,_

_And it's all about, it's all about,_

_It's all about us, all about us,_

_It's all about, all about us,_

_All about us_

_And that's the thing that they can't touch,_

'_Cause you know, ah-ah_

_It's all about us, all about us,_

_It's all about, all about us,_

_All about us_

_We'll run away if we must,_

'_Cause you know, ah-ah_

_It's all about us, It's all about us,_

_It's all about love, It's all about us,_

_In you I can trust, it's all about us,_

_It's all about us._

_They don't know, they can't see,_

_Who we are, fear is the enemy,_

_Hold on tight, hold onto me _

'_Cause tonight, it's all about us…"_

I stopped too soon, but I wanted to know if Plato had heard my message. I gingerly placed my paw on his shoulder and turned him around slowly. He uncrossed his arms and smacked me across the face, harder than Macavity had ever done before. The force was so unexpected I fell to the ground with one paw on my cheek, trying to soothe the pain. I looked fiercely into his eyes, which just looked like two puddles of mud now. His face is a reminiscent of The Napoleon of Crime. Tears, once again, started to slip out of my eyes. I hastily stood up and tried to run away so I could be as far from him as possible, but he easily caught me and held me back while I screeched and sobbed into his arms. I couldn't decipher my feelings anymore. I didn't want him to let go of me, but at the same time I wanted to run away from him and never turn back. The problem was that he's the only cat I could talk to. Nobody else remembered me, and nobody else knew my story. I would be a wreck without him.

"Come on, I'm taking you back to Macavity," Plato announced. I cried even louder at the mention of the Mystery Cat's name.

"N-no, please, let me go," I wept, but he didn't listen. He was becoming more like Macavity every second. He scooped me up as I continued to plead inaudibly. I stopped crying after he had walked three miles or so in nearly half the pace I could have walked. I had no tears left in me, and I was exhausted from all the drama. I let my eyelids close to nap for the third time in 24 hours. In my dream, Plato was Macavity, and he was terrorizing the Jellicle tribe. I was trying to save everyone, but then each Jellicle was being replaced by Plato's henchcats until only a couple of my dear friends were standing. The most terrifying part was when Plato shot lightning at me, but then Mistoffelees jumped in front of me and took the blow instead. For some reason, he vanished right then and there. It was the last time I saw my brother and I wailed uncontrollably, falling to my knees. Then, Plato raised a knife triumphantly over my head and—

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><p><strong>Are you surprised, or did you see it coming? Basically, Plato's father intimidates him, which I find is pretty cowardly of Plato :p I'm guessing you might know what their little mental conversation was about. <strong>

**Please review and tell me what you think! The next time I'll update will probably be over the weekend.**

**Thanks for reading!**

**N.B. (You might keep on seeing this and wondering "What the heck does this mean?" It stands for "Nota Bene", which is Latin for "Note well". Okay anyways...) Something really insane happened to this document...I don't know exactly what happened but things may have gotten deleted...I'm hoping not :( I can't check to see if it is all there because the original document with this chapter is in another computer and that laptop is currently dead and the charger is dead, and we are waiting for the new charger to come. Once that happens, I will check to see if anything has changed. Sorry for my constant blabbing :/ Just thought I'd let you know :) Anyway, thanks so much reading! Sorry for the inconvenience :(**


	7. Punishment

**A/N: Hi! It turns out that I am posting this chapter a lot sooner than I had expected...It's really short but a lot happens in it! We left off with Plato carrying Victoria while walking along the sidewalk, which would sound cute if he weren't actually taking her to Macavity's warehouse...**

**DISCLAIMER: Eye Donut own Cats. Don't ask why I wrote it like that...I think I'm going insane o_O**

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><p>I woke up sweating and panting slightly. It looked to be around four o' clock in the morning. Plato was still carrying me back to Macavity's warehouse. He had felt me trembling, but did not even care to see if I was okay.<p>

"There are still a few miles left," he stated. "You can go back to sleep."

I didn't reply. Munkustrap always told me to never talk to strangers, and right now, I had no idea who Plato was. My stomach grumbled and moaned nonstop. Once it had quieted down, I asked, "Can we stop for food?"

"At four in the morning? I don't think so," Plato responded gruffly and continued walking.

I rolled over in his arms so my face was stuffed into his fur. "You're treating me like Macavity does," I muttered.

About an hour of silence later, we finally reached the back entrance of Macavity's warehouse. He typed a nine-digit code into the security pad, turned the large knob, and kicked the door open with his hind leg. He walked down the hall that included my cell but instead stopped at the door of Macavity's office.

"Oh, Plato, you wouldn't!" I said with disbelief. He just smirked and tapped on the door.

"Come in," the Hidden Paw authorized. Plato entered, and we both looked at the faces of the ten other henchcats crowded together on the back wall. They were all pushing and shoving in order to get a good view of us. I quickly recognized Adolph standing with a wicked grin on his face in the front row.

Plato plopped me onto a chair and strapped my paws down to the arms and legs of the chair. I didn't struggle; what would be the point? He tightened the straps and, after being given a nod of approval from Macavity, stepped back with the other toms.

Macavity placed a paw on my neck for a few seconds and laughed to himself.

"Your heart rate is up to 120 beats per minute," he leered. "I'm glad I frighten you." He and the other henchcats started laughing, including Plato. I leaned back in my chair and took deep, slow breaths. I kept telling my mind to be brave, but my defiant brain was telling me to act like a shriveled wimp.

"What are you going to do to me?" I asked, keeping my temper under control.

Macavity cackled again. "You see, my little angel, I have decided to not only treat myself this morning but to treat my most hardworking henchcats as well. I have settled on an Around the World beating."

I rolled my eyes. "And what, in the name of the Everlasting Cat, is an 'Around the World' beating?"

Macavity snickered. "Let me show you."

"Actually, Macavity, I rather not know—"

"Who would like to go first?" he interrupted.

Adolph raised his paw smugly. "I would, sir."

The ginger tom grinned. "Excellent."

Adolph strode towards me and I sank back into my seat. "This is what you get for knocking me out," he growled, and then he punched my stomach repeatedly. I tried to block it out, but I felt a weird feeling coming up from my stomach. I gagged a little before vomiting all over him. He stood in shock while remnants of the mice I had a while ago dripped down from him. After wiping my mouth on my shoulder, I said, mockingly, "And that's what you get for trying to beat me up!"

He looked at Macavity, his mouth wide agape. Macavity seemed stunned as well. Plato's expression was no different from the others'. Macavity slowly let out his breath and smacked his face with his paw while shaking his head. "Adolph, go clean yourself up."

"Yes, sir," he replied, marching out of the room, but not before glaring at me first. I pretended to look innocent as he stormed out of the room.

Regaining his composure, Macavity continued. "Who's next? Don't be shy."

"I'll go, Mac." I watched the tiger-striped tom with the grey and green eyes walk towards me with his paws behind his back. I saw Plato's gaze focusing on the calico tom's paws, and I saw his mouth open slightly, as if he was gasping to himself. Without warning, Plato lunged himself at the calico, taking them both to the floor. They tussled on the ground for a while, but it ended with Plato pinning the henchcat down, revealing a dagger in the grey- and green-eyed tom's paw. Macavity separated them and slugged them both across their faces. He snatched the blade from the calico, but that didn't stop the henchcat. The tiger-striped cat attempted to attack Plato again. At once, Macavity plunged the dagger into the henchcat's chest. He pushed it in deeper and deeper until the calico fell on his back, his dissimilar eyes open and lifeless. Finally, Macavity pulled it out and made it vanish. Plato and I couldn't take our eyes away from the dead tom, still not believing the scene that had just taken place. His blood was dark and pooling around his body. The Hidden Paw didn't give a second glance to the tom he had just murdered.

"Does anybody else have weapons with them?" he inquired. All the other henchcats, who were also in shock, held their paws in the air hesitantly.

"Go," Macavity ordered. "Now."

"Yes, sir," the rest mumbled. They left with hunched shoulders, disappointed that all the action was over. Plato swaggered out the door, rather pleased with all the drama.

Once everyone was gone, Macavity turned to me and unfastened the straps holding me down. I slowly stood up, our faces inches away from one another. I had to look up, being the much shorter cat I am.

"Why'd you do that?" I questioned. I was secretly thankful for him not letting the others hurt me, but why?

"I couldn't let anybody hurt you," he responded, gently placing a paw on my cheek.

"Victoria," he continued. "I love you."

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><p><strong>Hehehe...he...<strong>

**What do you think? Please review! And thank you to Cassieteazer for reviewing EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY CHAPTERS!**

**Thanks so much for reading! I'm in the middle of typing the next chapter, so it should be up in about 1-3 days...hopefully.**

**NB: This is me from the future...again. Why do I keep on popping up! Anyway, this is me from 28 chapters later, and I want to acknowledge everyone else who has reviewed EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY CHAPTERS from 1-7: Bombastrap and wonderwumbojellicle, thank you! **


	8. Treated Like a Guest

**A/N: Hi! This chapter is really, really short, but I felt like I was at a good (and creepy) stopping point, so I decided to upload it now. This is all I have typed up so far (I have nothing for the next chapter yet, but I do know what will happen...vaguely), so I'll **_**try**_** to have the next chapter up tomorrow night, but no later than Sunday. And I will make sure it isn't so short ;) Now, let's see how Victoria reacts to Macavity's last statement. **

**As a warning, this chapter is full of a creepy Macavity. And this time creepy in a different way. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats, but I do in my dreams...**

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><p><em>Oh my Everlasting Cat, oh my Everlasting Cat, did I hear him right? <em>

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked.

"Victoria, you heard me." The ginger tom grabbed my wrists and backed me up against a wall. "I need you to understand."

"But I don't!" I yelled. "This doesn't make sense! Why would you hurt me, then? Why do you treat me like you do?"

"That doesn't matter anymore! What matters is us, Victoria. You know these feelings are mutual."

I shook my head so quickly it looked as if I was vibrating. "Macavity, no, you don't understand!"

"But I think I do." He smiled and leaned forward, whispering into my ear. "And if you don't see me in that way, then I guess I'll just have to kill you _and_ Plato."

Tears began to spring up in my eyes, but I didn't dare let them out. "No, no, don't. You won't have to. You're right—I do like you…kind of…in an odd way."

He stomped hard on my hind paws, making me whimper a bit. "You are lying right through your teeth, my little angel." _Yes, but what other choice do I have?_

The yellow-eyed tom's carroty paws let go of my wrists and he stepped back. "But I'll accept it." _Wow, he sure is desperate to have a queen._

I slowly inched myself along the wall towards the door, trying to escape this horrific nightmare. The ginger tom snickered. "There's no need to be afraid of me."

I gulped. "Are you sure about that?"

Macavity laughed. "As long as you're a good little angel." He guided me out of his office and made his way through the halls, passing my cell.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"Now that you're _my_ queen…" I flinched when he said that. "…you shall sleep with comfort."

After winding through the building, Macavity finally stopped at a door at the end of the hallway. I took kitten steps into the room, still confused as to why he was treating me like this. There was a human-made bed in the corner with taupe sheets, though the color seemed to be coming from the dirt and dust. A four-legged wooden stool stood in the opposite corner collecting dust as well. A tiny window—too high up for me to look out of—let in a small stream of light, signaling dawn. Other than that, my new room was pretty much bare, just like every other place in Macavity's warehouse.

"You should rest right away," Macavity spoke, snapping me back to attention.

"Wouldn't I usually be waking up at this time?" I thought out loud.

He chuckled. "I am sure you are exhausted. Lie down."

I hopped onto the bed a little too enthusiastically and reclined. He pulled the sheets over me and brushed the fur out of my face.

"Sleep well," Macavity said, kissing my forehead. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. He chuckled one last time before leaving me alone in the darkness of the bedroom. Eventually, my eyelids grew heavy and I fell into a deep slumber.

For some reason, my eyes flew open, and my ears perked up. After a moment of silence, I decided to go back to my snoozing. Suddenly, the wall rumbled, and I immediately jumped off the bed. It was completely dark outside, and no stars could be seen through all the clouds. I heard a grunt from outside my room, followed by another thud and a moan. There were hissings and pleadings, and I knew who was making those hissing sounds.

"What do you mean you weren't able to get rid of them all?" Macavity shouted. "I sent you on a mission to wipe out all the Pekes nearby, and you have the _nerve_ to come back to me and tell me that you were only able to kill _nine?_"

"S-sir, it's not my fault. They knew you were planning something. They were expecting someone to attack!"

There were several loud smacking sounds, and each ended with a cry from the henchcat who had failed the Napoleon of Crime. I let go of my fear of Macavity and stormed out into the hall to find him holding up in the air a brown and white devon rex cat by its neck against a wall. Macavity glowered at me before speaking.

"Go back to your room, Victoria. This is none of your business."

"Can't you go one day without hurting a cat?" I asked.

"Leave, Victoria. That is an order."

I scrunched my nose up and scowled at him, and I stomped back to my room. Not long after slamming the door did I hear an ear-piercing screech. I sat on my bed and wrapped my arms around my knees, rocking back and forth in fright. That was the last time I would ever see that henchcat. And to think I could have stopped that from happening!

The door opened a crack and in came the ginger tom. He draped his arm over my shoulders and hushed my silent snivels.

"What did you do to him?" I inquired.

Macavity petted me and tucked me in again. "Nothing you need to worry about," he answered.

That made me worry more.

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><p><strong>So now that Macavity is...<em>smitten<em>...with her, is life getting better for Victoria, or is it getting worse...? Tell me what you think!**

**Once again, sorry for the shortness. I hope you liked it! Thanks for my reviewers! Stay tuned for more!**

**Please review!**

**Thanks for reading :)**


	9. Snooping

**A/N: Hi! Sorry I wasn't able to update yesterday. My next update might not be until tomorrow...maybe...and after that I probably won't be able to update until Friday...maybe...Enjoy the chapter! Luckily, it's longer than the last two chapters...which...isn't saying much :/ haha. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats...:'(**

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><p>By the time I woke up again, it was past dawn. I didn't feel so glamorous, either. I had tossed and turned so much last night that the sheets were twisted around me. After struggling to wriggle out of sheets, I (not so gracefully) landed with a thud on the floor. I groomed myself before contemplating what to do today. <em>Maybe I should explore the warehouse a little more. Maybe I'll find out about some secrets Macavity is hiding! <em>I got excited at the idea and headed off to the more unknown halls while catching some breakfast on the way.

My first few stops were just storage closets, most of which held weapons and expired medicine bottles. I climbed up the stairwells, thinking that his most secret places would be somewhere others wouldn't want to go. There was just one hall with a dead end, and there were three wooden doors, which was odd because most doors here were steel. Engraved onto two of them was the word "Roof". The last one was at the very end, and it was taller than the others, with the top starting extremely close to the ceiling and ending a centimeter above the floor. The wood was chipped, and it seemed to have had writing on it, but it had been scratched out, leaving a yellow mark. As I opened it, the top scraped against the ceiling and the hinges began to creak. I cautiously entered and was surprised as to how bigger it looked in the inside than from the outside. It gave the impression that it had once been an office, judging by the large desk and chair against the back wall. It was surrounded by a sea of junk—a piano and bench, accordions, bagpipes, a box of jewelry, books with torn pages, and broken collars were strewn about everywhere. I made my way to the desk, the floor squeaking with every step. There was nothing on it but dust, so I opened the drawers attached to it. One had a few pencils, quills and ink, scissors, and…a fork. Now why would there be a fork in here? I shuddered at the thought and continued to open the other drawers. I was just about to get up and leave when something caught my eye in the last drawer I had opened. It was leather book with pages so old they were yellowish-brown. The binding seemed secure enough for me to be able to read it without it falling apart. On the back of the front cover, in pencil, was written, "Journal". _Sweet! It's Macavity's diary!_ I curled my lips into a sinister smile and began reading the first page:

_"March 13—Father put a curfew on me today for sneaking out beyond the boundaries of the Junkyard. While exploring, I found this nice black, leather book, its pages bare. But that's not the only thing I found. I have also discovered an old, abandoned three-story building. The interior was quite amazing, although the outside was not very attractive to the eye. I figured this would be the perfect place to live once I finally manage to escape from Old Deuteronomy and the rest of the Jellicles. _

_Before my curfew of ten o' clock, I tumbled around with my brothers Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger, and my cousin Alonzo. I am the only one who can do magic in this tribe, so they're always jealous of me. Sometimes, when they're annoying me, I freeze them in their position and resume to the quiet (and sometimes devious) activity I was originally doing._

_I had a conversation with Demeter today. My love for the teenage kitten grows every day. She is only a year younger than me, and I believe that someday I will have the courage to ask her to be my mate for life. But for now, she only sees us as 'friends'. If only she was less ignorant and more observant! Well, all in good time._

I flipped to the next page. The heading read, "_March 28_". Hey, that's my birthday!

"_Today was Little Miss Victoria's third birthday. She is as beautiful as her mother, Griddlebone. Most kittens learn to dance when they are six or seven, but Victoria, being the very talented kitten she is, started today. I can honestly say that her routines that she made up right on the spot were more graceful than any choreographed dance an adult cat had ever done. I am very fond of the little kitten, and I hope we will become good friends. But all in good time." Yeah, well we're really good friends now, aren't we?_ I skipped the rest of the pages and read the last entry in the book.

"_September 1—Now that I am eighteen years old, I believe I have matured enough to live on my own, start my own business, and live happily with a special cat. I had recently started a reputation of being 'aggressive' and 'extremely violent', but there isn't another way to survive in this world. I have outgrown the Jellicles, and no amount of begging will make me stay here in this dump (literally)._

_I am not upset about leaving behind my brothers, especially Munkustrap. When I heard that he would become the next Jellicle Protector, I despised him at once. I would like to see how that would turn out. Someday, Old Deuteronomy will be sorry for not making me the next protector._

_I will miss Bombalurina, though. And Victoria. And Etcetera. But above all, I will deeply miss Demeter. Our friendship had grown tremendously, but we never took it a step further. I have decided to visit her occasionally, and I might even ask her to come live with me._

_As this journal comes to an end, so does the previous chapter of my life. I will put my talents to good use and become a cat that is known far and wide. In the junkyard, I am only known by my family, friends, and enemies. What good is that? No cat outside the streets of London knows I exist. I vow that the next time the Jellicles see me, I will be living in prosperity. Someday I will be so powerful that I shall take control over the Jellicles and wipe out every last one of those good-for-nothing toms. But for now, I am heading off to my new warehouse—the same old building I found six months ago. This will not be the last time the Jellicles will see my face. I will soon be seen on flyers everywhere, spoken about by cats and dogs, expanding my empire to the corners of the earth. But all in good time."_

It's amazing how accurate his predictions were. I closed the journal and carefully placed it back in its original place. I walked past the desk and sat on the piano bench, placing my fingers on the old keys of the upright piano. Tugger had taught me to play when I was a young kitten; I had continued to play while Tugger stopped practicing altogether. I had found the sheet music to a song somewhere in the junkyard, and it has quickly grown to be my favorite. I still remember it to this day. I positioned my hand to match the fingering for _Schmetterling, opus 43, number 1_. I started to get lost in the music, so I didn't pay much attention to the knock on the door or who it could have been.

"Come in." I continued to play, my fingers resuming to the chromatic scale.

I quickly looked to see who was disrupting my playing, and I turned back to the keys just as fast when I saw those familiar almond-colored eyes. Two minutes later, I finished my piece, stood up and bravely walked right past Plato without a passing glance. His arm were crossed and he had a stern look on his face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"What are _you _doing here?" I retorted.

"Well, I heard music…and Macavity strictly told us never to come up here," he answered.

"Then you better leave," I said. What gave him the right to be here and not me?

Plato grabbed my arm and hissed back, "Look, if you don't appreciate me saving your life, that's fine with me. Macavity won't hesitate to kill you if he finds out you're here."

I tried to wriggle out of his grip, but it was too strong. "Macavity won't hurt me. He just said he loved me!" I yelled the last part out, and he let go of my arm and staggered back a bit. I stared him down as he tried to comprehend the words I had just said.

"Do you love him back?" he said, sounding sympathetic.

"Of course not!"

"Good, 'cause then you would be my step-mother."

My face must have shown that I was really disgusted, because Plato laughed, a sound I had secretly missed.

There was a moment of silence before I asked the million-dollar question: "Why did you want to save my life?"

He walked past me and sat on top of the desk. "What do you mean?"

"Before, you said you didn't care about me," I scoffed, "and just now you said that you came here to save my life. What's the matter with you? You're confusing me, and it's making my days here harder than they already need to be."

Silence. More silence. Never-ending silence.

"Plato, you do remember the question, don't you?"

"Hmm?" Plato looked up from the floor. "Oh, um, yeah."

"So?" I became frustrated. "What's going on with you? Do you really hate me?"

He simply replied, "No," and walked out the door, shutting it behind him. I frowned and sat back down on the piano bench, this time playing a darker and more menacing song called _L'Orage_. As I played the last chord, I could hear the sound of someone coming down the hall. Afraid it was Macavity, I hid behind the piano, but anybody with eyes could easily spot me. I considered what I should do to avoid getting punished and settled on playing it innocent and practicing piano. I'm sure the Hidden Paw will be happy once he finds out I have another talent.

Sure enough, the yellow-eyed cat strutted into the room. I sensed he was watching me as I played _O Polichinelo_. Once I had played my glissando, signaling the end of the piece, I turned and saw an astounded Macavity with raised eyebrows. "I didn't know you play," he said.

I just nodded in response.

"You play well," he continued.

Nod.

"You are _very_ talented."

Nod.

"Victoria, speak to me. I miss your voice."

I snorted to myself. Obsessive much?

"Come on, let's take a walk."

"To where?" I questioned.

"Anywhere you like," he responded, taking my paw and bringing me up to my hind paws. Macavity escorted me out the room and back down the stairwell. He stopped a random henchcat on the ground floor and told him to keep an eye on the place while he was gone. As Macavity led me away, I turned around and mouthed "Help me!" to the henchcat. The tom just shrugged and resumed to his duty. _Thanks for nothing._

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><p><strong>That was kind of a weird ending, but I want to make the walk its own, separate chapter. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Review, please! Stay tuned for Macavity's stroll with Victoria! That obviously cannot go well...<strong>

**N.B. (from the future): Plus, I changed the age of Macavity in the last entry from fourteen to eighteen. If I had not made the change, then Macavity was a father at the age of ten o_O So now he was a father at fourteen, which is still pretty strange, but it sure is better than ten!**

**Thanks for reading! And I would like to acknowledge sarbear2255 for her wonderful, well-rounded reviews! Thank you :D**


	10. A Walk to Remember

**A/N: Hi! Sorry for making you wait. It's hard to type on school days. I think I'll have the next chapter up sometime this weekend, though, so you won't have to wait as much! This chapter is longer than all of my other ones! Sorry if it seems kind of rushed. I would also like to thank one of my friends for giving me the idea of having my OC Adolph be 'the star of the show'-an idea I had originally turned down. I thought about it for a little while and tried to make it work, so thank you for the idea (I know you're reading this haha)!**

**Last chapter ended with Macavity about to take Victoria on a walk ;D**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats...BUT I own the character Adolph and I also own Artie/Artemis (a henchcat that will make an appearance in this chapter) and all my other OCs.**

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><p>The Mystery Cat dragged me out of his warehouse and into the outside world. I was met with brutal winds and frost-biting temperatures, but the cloudless sky made the day seem almost wonderful. An old fountain stood in the middle of some kind of shopping center, where humans were often bustling about. It was more peaceful today, besides the fact that there was a group of rowdy teenagers departing from a store called "Starbucks".<p>

"It is such a beautiful day," Macavity said.

"It _was_," I muttered under my breath. I could see my breath in the air as I spoke. How could the temperature have dropped so fast?

Macavity noticed I was shivering and he wrapped his arm around me to pull me close. I swished my tail from side to side in annoyance, but he didn't seem to care.

"It's days like this that make me wonder…." Blah, blah, blah. Did I ask for your life story?

"…am I right, Victoria?"

Huh? I hadn't paid attention to a word he said. "Aren't you always right, Macavity?" I mocked.

"Yep," he snickered. I giggled a little at his informality. He smiled back at me. _Oh, Everlasting Cat, now he thinks I'm interested!_

I squinted at the buildings. Where have I seen them before? "This place looks familiar," I thought out loud.

"I wonder why," he said slyly. Turning my head to my left, I noticed a familiar shape bouncing around in the distance. Was that…?

"_Pouncival_," I whispered.

"What was that?" Macavity asked sternly.

I didn't respond. My pace slowed down, and I tried to make out the outline of the other shapes in that area. From where I was standing, I could see the tallest pile of junk in the Jellicle Junkyard. Pouncival danced like a fool at its peak before flipping off and out of sight.

I suddenly felt a strong tug on my arm. I had been steering toward the junkyard without even knowing it.

I had a strong urge to pull away, and, although my brain was telling me not to, I did. Macavity reached for my arm again, and I slapped him away. Then, I did something I never thought I would do under the clutches of Macavity.

I ran.

It was stupid. How could I think that I could escape from Macavity, especially when Macavity was _right there_?

And then, something even weirder happened:

He didn't follow me.

He just stood there, watching me leave. He seemed torn, but that didn't stop the anger from reaching his eyes.

I sprinted to the Junkyard. I longed to see my friends and family. A new wave of excitement ran over me, and I started crying tears of joy. After a month of being away, I was finally home!

I ran into the clearing and twirled around, while Pouncival and Tumblebrutus gaped at me in confusion. Pouncival randomly shouted out, "STRANGER DANGER!" Tumblebrutus clamped his paw over his younger brother's mouth and they scurried away. I saw Munkustrap on patrol, and I'm pretty sure he saw me, because he started to march up to me in a threatening manner.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" he Munkustrap questioned.

"Munkustrap! I'm Victoria! Macavity took me away about a month ago—"

"Victoria, any friend of Macavity is an enemy of ours. Please leave our territory and never step foot back in here again."

I shook my head rapidly. "No, you don't understand. I'm not Macavity's friend—I'm _your_ friend. I used to live in this junkyard."

A crowd of Jellicles was beginning to form around us. I spotted Mistoffelees and shook his shoulders.

"Mistoffelees, don't look me in the eye and tell me you don't know me!" I pleaded.

"I…don't…sorry..."

I pushed him away and ignored his startled expression. Making my way to Alonzo, I nearly shouted at him, "What about you? Do you remember me at all?"

Alonzo tsked. "Crazy queen."

I totally lost it. Before I knew it, my hand flew out and I smacked him on the side of his head. At that point, Munkustrap had made his way over to me and pushed me out of the junkyard. I begged for him not to banish me. He didn't listen. I cried and scratched his arm repeatedly. He didn't listen. I told him that his brother would hurt me if he found me again. Still, he didn't listen. Munkustrap pushed me far into a dark alley and left me there before running back and closing the gates to the junkyard.

I slid down the wall of the building and tried to toughen up, but that was impossible. _I have nobody now. Not my mother, not my father, none of my relatives or friends. _I sniffled. _Not even Plato._

"It's all Macavity's fault," I said to myself as if it wasn't obvious in the first place. "He wiped all the memories of me away from everyone I knew. He's selfish, and arrogant, and rude, and corrupt, and cruel…he doesn't deserve to live."

I gasped to myself. Never have I ever let such nasty words come out of my mouth. "I mean, he doesn't deserve to live a _good_ life. I mean, he shouldn't be able to have a better life than anyone else, I mean—Oh, Everlasting Cat, am I going crazy? Look at me—I'm arguing with myself!" Sighing, I curled up into a ball and stared at the building in front of me. My eyes fluttered a bit, but I never went to sleep. When it was nearing dusk, it clicked in my mind that Macavity had let me escape because he wanted to prove that I couldn't survive without him. That I _needed _him. As much as I want to say it's false, I can't. It is a fact that I wouldn't be able to last a day out in the streets on my own. I had always been cared for by the Jellicles. I couldn't take care of myself.

I remained in my position for the rest of the night, moping and shivering. I was able to catch to mice, both babies, and I gobbled them down at once. The temperature decreased dramatically, and I started to violently tremble.

"Hey, you need help?"

I shot my head up and found Adolph towering over me. "The Boss sent me here to find you," he continued.

"Why didn't he just come himself?" I snapped.

"He says that you are, and I quote, 'an abomination with a hideous face'. In other words, he's mad at you."

"No kidding." I rolled my eyes.

He noticed my rude gesture. "Hey! Don't go all eye-rolly on me again! I still haven't gotten back at you for puking all over me!"

I sat up. "You had that coming! Next time, don't go punching queens' stomachs. That'll just end up with their lunch all over you."

He chortled unexpectedly. "You're funny."

I eyed him suspiciously. "And you're weird. What's up with you henchcats and your random mood swings?"

"Ah, you're still obsessed with that Plato guy, aren't you?"

I huffed angrily and even started to blush a little. "I never said that I was _obsessed _with him. He totally and utterly betrayed me. He's dead to me now!"

Adolph laughed again, his uptightness disappearing. "Good. He isn't worthy of you. You deserve a smart, generous, reliable, devilishly handsome tom, much like myself."

I laughed at his arrogance, making him cross his arms.

"We need to go," he remarked, changing the subject.

"No. I'm not going back to Macavity."

"He said that I shouldn't come back unless you came with me, so I'm not leaving until you go too."

"Fine, you can stay. I rather spend a night with you than be beaten by Macavity."

"True dat."

I stared at him, bemused.

"What?" he asked, not even realizing that he just sounded like an idiot.

"Nothing," I sighed. My teeth began to chatter wildly, and I rubbed my paws together for warmth.

"Are you cold?" he asked. I gave him a look that said "_What do you think?_"

"Once, I heard these humans talk about how penguins cuddle together to get warm—"

"Not going to happen," I interrupted.

Adolph nodded in understanding, and we both stretched out on the ground and gazed at the stars.

"Do you like working for Macavity?" I said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah. Mac's a cool tom. He treats us henchcats pretty nicely, unless we do something like, oh, I don't know, _run away_ from him," he hinted at me.

"What do you think he'll do when we go back?" My lower lip quivered and Adolph noticed.

"Eh, nothing too bad. I mean, he won't _kill_ you or anything…" He noticed I was shuddering even more and decided not to finish his sentence.

"Um, just go to sleep. Try not to think about it."

I turned to my side so my back was facing him. The dirt ground was filthy and crawling with insects. I shut my eyes and tried to block it out. Hearing the crickets chirp reminded me of being back in the Junkyard. A single tear slid down my cheek before gradually dozing off.

My nose twitched, and I opened my eyes to see pure white snowflakes cascading down. There was already a thin layer of snow building up around me. It was still nighttime, but the glow from the streetlamps provided a moderate amount of light. I rolled to the side and noticed Adolph curled up next to me, a little too close for my taste, perhaps. I nudged him with my elbow to get him to wake up. I yelped in shock when his arm flew up out of the blue. With my quick cat instincts, I scrambled backwards, making him barely miss. He got up a few moments later, yawning and pretending like nothing happened.

"What's up?" he asked casually.

I looked at him in disbelief. "'What's up?' You nearly sliced my face in half!"

Adolph pondered this for a moment and lit up when he had an explanation. "Sorry! I forgot I developed some super awesome instincts while working with Macavity. You see, if anyone tries to attack me in my sleep, I can just whip out my arm and—"

"Okay, okay! Look, I'm ready to face Macavity. Can we just go before I change my mind?"

"Yeesh! No need to get all screamy. And shouldn't we wait until dawn, at least? It'll be harder to find our way back in the dark."

"We'll just follow the streetlamps," I pointed out. "Just stay on the sidewalk."

"Yeah, yeah, I know what to do," he grumbled. Adolph offered me his hand and yanked me up. He led the way while I followed closely behind. The snow was piling up rapidly. It was nice and compact—perfect for a snowball fight. I stooped down quietly and pressed the soft yet firm snow into a sphere and aimed it for the back of Adolph's head. Right when I was about to take my arm back behind my head, Adolph spun on his heel and chucked a snowball right in my face. It hurt quite a bit, but I wasn't going to let him get away with it! I threw the one already in my hand and ran past him while he brushed the icy crystal flakes from his face.

"Oh, you are so dead!" he hollered, chasing after me. I made a sharp pivot at a corner, making him lose his balance. He skidded and slipped a little but remained in a standing position at all times. The tip of his tail was flicking back from side to side in annoyance. I ran down the alley, kicking up a flurry of snow as I went. He coughed and sputtered while cursing loudly and continued to hunt me down. I passed the fountain Macavity and I had walked by a few hours ago, and I knew I was at the warehouse. I stopped at the steel door, refusing to take a step further. Adolph ran straight into me, making us both topple to the ground. I mewed loudly as I fell to the ground, the snow catching my fall. The steel door opened abruptly as a strong-looking Bengal cat with bright leopard spots stepped into the snow and picked each of us up with one paw by the scruffs of our necks. I was so lightweight that the tom had lifted me off my hind paws, so I was dangling from the air. Adolph looked up at the henchcat and gave him an adorable fake smile.

"What are you kits doing here after dark?" he interrogated in a gruff voice.

Adolph widened his smile and began speaking nonchalantly. "Hey, Artie! Good to see you! How've you been?"

The Bengal cat—Artie—tightened his grip on our necks. "I'm not messing around. Where have you two been? Mac's been waiting for hours!"

Now it was Adolph's turn to roll his eyes. "Well," he scoffed, "we would've gotten here sooner if it wasn't for Miss Vicky."

I quickly defended myself. "Hey! It's your fault for agreeing to wait for me!"

"Oh yeah? Well, who threw the first snowball, causing our delayed arrival?"

"That would be you!"

"Oh, yeah. But—"

"Will you two shut up?" Artie roared. He directed his attention towards me. "Macavity wants to speak to you. If I were you, I'd prepare myself for what's comin'."

I gulped. "Ok…but put me down first, will 'ya?

"And how will I know you won't run away again?" he sneered.

"I'll be happy to take her!" Adolph exclaimed a little to cheerfully. He cleared his throat and tried to act official and proper. "I mean, I will escort her to Macavity's office at once. Good day, Artemis."

As Artie released his grip on us, I tried to hold back giggles at Adolph's false formality. The Bengal tom began to walk around the perimeter of the building, never taking his eyes off of us. Adolph lightly pushed my back, and I stumbled forward dramatically, trying to keep up the act. Once we entered the building, we burst out into a fit of laughter and chortles.

Once our laughter had died down, Adolph led me to Macavity's office, still chuckling on the way. Once we reached his boss' door, an eerie silence hung over us.

"Are you ready, Vicky?" Adolph said suddenly.

I shook my head and gently opened the door anyway.

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><p><strong>So Adolph isn't really all that mean. He can just be an uptight jerk when Macavity is around haha, but hopefully that is about to change!<strong>

**What do you think's going to happen next? A visit with Macavity cannot be any good :( Expect the next chapter to be up in 1-3 days!**

**Please Review! The support means a lot to me and really keeps me going! Also, thank you to those who have favorited and/or followed me and my story!**

**Thank you very much for reading!**


	11. Disciplined

**A/N: Hey Hey Hey! Sorry for the short chapter (I felt like I was at a good stopping point). I'll try not to make them so short anymore :p haha. There's some (a lot) of violence in this chapter! I hope you enjoy!**

**To sarbear2255, Bombastrap, wonderwumbojellicle, and Cassieteazer: Thank you all for loving Adolph! :D**

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><p>Adolph immediately stepped in front of me protectively. Macavity was sitting at his desk, hunched over a stack of papers. He glanced up and gave a little smirk when he saw me peeking out from over Adolph's shoulder. The Napoleon of Crime stood up and strode towards Adolph and me.<p>

"My, my, you befriend my henchcats rather easily, don't you?" he snickered. When neither of us responded, he punched Adolph brutally on his right cheek and roughly grabbed my headfur. I cried out in terror. He angled my head in an uncomfortable way so that my neck was being strained, and I was forced to look at his unusually yellow eyes.

"I-I'm s-s-sorr-ry," I managed to sputter out. He clenched his fist angrily and ripped out a few pieces of my headfur. Adolph bravely got up and pushed me into the corner, where I sank down so that I was as small as possible. He, once again, stood defensively over me, this time with less fear in his eyes.

"What are you planning to do with Vicky, huh?" Adolph said, his voice stronger than ever. "If you love her so much, you wouldn't hurt her, Macavity."

Macavity responded by plunging his dagger in Adolph's direction. Luckily, the brown and white patched tom grabbed his wrist and flipped him over. Both Macavity and I were astonished to see such a small and young tom be able to overpower his commander. The ginger tom whistled by sticking two of his fingers in his mouth. In response to the whistle, Sulvar and another beastly-looking tom entered right away, picked Adolph up from under his arms, and carried him out of the room. The tom struggled and kicked under their grasp, but it was no use.

Now I was all alone with The Napoleon of Crime.

I was cornered completely, and I couldn't run away this time. I didn't dare speak a word. The only thing that could be heard was my rapid breathing. I didn't move a muscle; I just sat still.

Macavity yanked me up to my feet, and I winced at his touch. Then, in the blink of an eye, he slammed my face into the wall. I stumbled back and fell to the floor as he loomed over me. I wiped my nose and noticed a bright red stain on the back of my paw. I felt the warm blood drizzling down my nostrils as I was helplessly lying on the floor.

"Oh, Everlasting Cat, look what you've done," Macavity muttered, observing my bloody nose. He swatted my paw away from my nose and pinched the part between my nostrils and the bridge. I started to sniffle, and he sighed in annoyance.

"Shhh," he lullabied. "Just calm yourself." _Um, who was the one who just went on a random rampage?_

"M-Macavity—"

"Don't talk," he interrupted.

A few minutes later, he let go of my nose. To check to see if it was still bleeding, I began to wipe it with my paw until Macavity grabbed my wrist and pinned it back to my side.

"There," he said, "it stopped." I sat up and leaned against my elbows for support, but then he stepped on my forehead so that I was flat against the smooth floor again. "You're not going anywhere," he hissed at me. "Not until you tell me why you ran away."

_Is it not obvious?_ "I-I hate it here. I want to go home. I want the Jellicles to remember me again."

I was met with a kick to the side of my head, causing me to roll over. My head began to throb, and I was dizzy for a few seconds.

"You're going to have to start loving it here," he susurrated. "You can't go home, and you will have to forget the Jellicles."

I shook my head weakly but with purpose. Macavity flipped my over so that I was staring straight up at the ceiling. I was too afraid to blink—Everlasting Cat knows what he could do in that amount of time.

"Promise me you'll forget the Jellicles?" I knew what his reaction would be if I said no. I knew the exact response he wanted. I knew all of this, and yet, I couldn't bring myself to say "yes".

I attempted to whack his arm away from me, causing him to raise his temper. He snarled very Pollicle-like before grabbing and smashing me against the wall. I whimpered noisily as he whistled, yet again, for his henchcats. Without a moment's delay, Sulvar and Artemis burst into the room. Macavity cocked his head towards me and commanded, "Hold her back."

I made an effort to avoid their grasp, but I was surrounded by three criminals. Each henchcat pinned one arm to my side as Macavity stood back and watched with amusement.

"Now, do you _promise_ to forget every last one of the Jellicles?" Macavity repeated.

"Yes." _They will always be on my mind._

"You will never step a paw out of this building ever again?"

"I won't." _Once I escape, I'll never step a paw in this building ever again._

"You will be completely loyal to me?"

I guess I didn't answer quick enough, because Artemis began to dig his claws into me. Before he drew any blood, I promptly responded, "Yes."

Stare. Stare. Stare.

"Wh-what are you doing?" I blurted out. "What is going on? What's the matter?"

All of a sudden, he did a forward kick to my gut. I doubled over, but the two toms kept holding me back against the wall.

"What's the matter, Victoria? Can't handle a little pain?" The Mystery Cat sniggered. "I believe you have underestimated me, my little angel. You have forgotten that I can read your mind, hm?"

I nodded and apologized obediently.

"Your apology is not accepted, Victoria. Obviously, you have not been disciplined properly at the junkyard. Luckily, here, we do things differently."

Sulvar cupped his paw around my mouth to keep me from shrieking. I wriggled under the henchcats' grasps, which was completely ineffective. I made muffled screams through Sulvar's paw and tears began rolling down my pale white cheeks in fear. I shook my head from side to side vigorously.

It began with a slap. My cheek instantly became numb. He followed it with a kick to my chest, causing me to gasp and wheeze. Artemis closed his paw over my neck to add to the torture. I don't know why he did it—it must have been funny and enjoyable to him.

Macavity delivered a few punches to my shoulders before deciding that I had enough. Artemis and Sulvar let go of me, and I crumpled into Macavity's arms. His hostile beating wasn't as bad as I thought it would have been—not to mention it was somewhat short-but I was puny and fragile, so any more violence and I would have been knocked clean out. The Monster of Depravity embraced me in his arms and ran his fingers through my headfur. Artemis and Sulvar stood awkwardly there until Macavity signaled for them to leave.

_Why would you do such a thing to me?_ I thought.

"_It was an act of love."_

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><p><strong>How was it? And, just in case you're confused, Macavity was talking to her in her mind at the end...so yeah, just to clear things up. Italicized words are Vicky's thoughts, and italicized words with quotation marks are Macavity's words mentally spoken to Victoria. This will probably occur in future chapters, too, so...yep! Thank you to wonderwumbojellicle for reviewing all my chapters in one day! That's incredible!<strong>

**Please review! I really hope you are enjoying the story! It won't be over for a while now ;)**


	12. An OMEC Moment

**A/N: Hiya! Sorry for the wait. I had some minor writer's block, and when that happens, you can always count on the chapter being really, really weird, so expect this chapter to be...interesting. Some violence is included to spice things up :D I hope you like it! As a recap: We left off at the end of Victoria's punishment for running away during her morning stroll with Macavity. Enjoy! **

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><p>I don't know how long I was in his arms; it felt like hours. My sobbing soon turned into hiccups, making Macavity shush me even more as he smoothed down the back of my headfur. He drew imaginary pictures on my back with the tip of his claw and nuzzled me affectionately, treating me like a newborn kit. My body felt sore all over, but I would be better soon. Macavity hadn't damaged me and didn't draw any more blood after the nosebleed.<p>

Through my constant hiccups, I heard the door creak open to reveal a cinnamon-colored tom at the doorway.

"Hey, Dad, can I—" Plato paused. He caught sight of me racked with sobs and hiccups, my head buried into The Mystery Cat's shoulder. Plato marched up to us and turned my body to face him, my arms still latched around Macavity's neck. Once he noticed my puffy, red eyes and dried blood in my nostrils, he immediately turned to his father.

"Dad, what in the world did you do?" Plato scolded.

Macavity smirked evilly as he played with my fur. "Nothing she didn't deserve," he responded.

Plato gave a grunt as he aimed a punch to The Hidden Paw's jaw. Macavity easily caught his son's fist with his paw and twisted his arm back. Seeing Plato in pain was still unbearable to me, so I dug my head into Macavity's shoulder again as another wave of tears washed over me. Macavity let Plato go so he could comfort me again. Plato stepped back and watched the scene before him: me in Macavity's arms—Plato did not like it one bit. He crossed his arms angrily.

"Dad, let her go," he said through gritted teeth.

"No," he simply replied. "I think she likes it."

Plato was fuming by now. I couldn't tell if he was jealous or if he was just looking out for me. He raised his paw again to give his father another blow, but stopped himself to avoid getting into more trouble. Macavity kissed my forehead gently and resumed to rubbing my back and caressing my headfur.

I felt like something needed to be said; the silence was too awkward. "P-P-Plato, you n-need to go." I didn't want him to make a mess of things and get into a tussle with Macavity.

"No," he replied sternly. "A few weeks ago, the first time we met, I said I would always stay by your side. I'm going to keep that promise."

"B-but you didn't!" I bawled.

Plato stepped forward a little and spoke one last time. "But now I will."

"How can I trust you?" I wept.

No answer. He looked away and bit his lip, uncomfortable.

"How can I trust you?" I screamed, my anger getting the best of me. New tears began forming in my eyes, and my hiccups came back.

Macavity petted me one more time and began speaking. "Victoria, my angel, I have to get back to work, but if you still want my company, you may stay here. Understand?" I nodded as he walked back to his desk, leaving me standing at the center of the room while Plato merely looked at me. I crossed my arms and stared at the floor, pretending like there was something interesting about my hind paws. There were bruises on my shoulders that made me wince if my paw barely brushed against it.

The only sound that could be heard was Macavity signing papers and the opening and closing of drawers. At one point I left without a word to snatch myself some breakfast, as it was late in the morning by now. I came back into the room just as silently and pulled a stool over to Macavity so I could sit next to him. I didn't feel like being alone, and Plato was starting to be creepy with all this staring nonsense. Bored, I propped my elbows onto his desk and rested my chin on my paws. Macavity was signing papers and tossing them into a cluttered pile one by one.

"What are you signing?" I asked, the ennui clear in my voice.

"Stuff," he replied, keeping his eyes on the papers in front of him.

I began to grow drowsy as it became later and later. Plato casually leaned his back against the wall and started to yawn. His yawning was contagious, and I rested my head on the desk. Plato saw that I was sleepy and made another attempt at being nice to me.

"I'll take you to your room, if you want," he offered sheepishly.

I lifted my head to look at him but avoided eye contact. "I'm fine, thank you." The stillness in the room made my eyelids droopy until they closed completely.

I wearily opened my eyes after my catnap ended to find myself on my human-made bed. _Huh, I don't remember coming here._ I got up on my elbow and twisted my body to the side. Plato was sitting on the floor, patiently waiting for me to get up.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Why are you here? Were you watching me sleep?" I demanded.

Plato's eyebrows shot up at my atypical tone of voice. "I brought you to your bed so you'd be…you know…more comfortable."

I rolled out of bed and walked to the door, ready to catch some dinner. My sleeping habits were not normal when I was at Macavity's place. It seemed as if I was sleeping during the day and wide awake at night.

"You were singing in your sleep," Plato said.

"I…was?" _Oh, could I be more embarrassing?_

"Yeah," he answered. "It was…entertaining." He chuckled.

"Thanks." I continued to walk out the doorway and down the hall for supper. Plato quickly followed me at a safe distance, probably to make sure I won't get into any trouble. I caught a relatively large mouse a few hallways later. Plato did the same. I sat down with my back leaning against the wall, munching on my dinner. He copied me. What was it going to take to have him leave me alone?

"Hey Vick."

I turned my head to the side and smiled when I saw a familiar brown and white patched tom patrolling the hallway. "Hey Adolph."

"How are you feeli—AHHH!" He was cut short by Plato when he tackled him to the ground.

"Stay away from him," Plato commanded.

Adolph stood up and was about to give Plato a gruesome scratch to his face before I stood between the two henchcats.

Turning to Plato, I said, "Why? What did he ever do to you?"

Plato stepped closer to me and I backed up into Adolph. "You want to know why? He may barely be a full-grown tom, but he's a well-known torture machine."

"It's true!" Adolph exclaimed proudly. Plato glowered at him menacingly.

"Uh…bye!" Adolph said quickly, realizing he wasn't in a safe position. He ran away speedily to patrol another hall.

"Adolph doesn't act like that when he's around me. He makes me feel like I'm back home with my friends."

Plato was seething with rage now. "Victoria, I've seen him kill both toms _and _queens with my own eyes. At one point or another, he's going to hurt you."

"No, he's not! He did his best to protect me from Macavity! I can trust him!"

"And what about me? Have you completely forgotten the part when I came in and tried to rescue you?"

"Yes, thank you for saving me _after_ the damage was done!"

"You little…" Plato paused and curled his paw into a fist. Before I knew it, there was a huge pain just above the side of my jaw. Plato shoved me to the ground and ruthlessly kicked my sides. I wailed like a vulnerable kitten. My first thought was that he was being possessed by Macavity, but as I looked into his eyes, my hopes faded away. They were still as brown as ever, with not a hint of yellow in them.

Once Plato was satisfied with himself, he rolled me over with his hind paw. It took him a few minutes to take in the ordeal I had just gone through.

"Everlasting Cat, no!" he hollered as he pounded his fists against the wall. My ears twitched at the sudden noise, causing me to whimper again.

"What is wrong with me?" Plato muttered to himself. "Why am I so bad at being good?"

I didn't know how to reply. I was so confused as to who he was, but I knew that the Plato from a week ago was still there.

"Victoria, I'm so sorry," he said shamefacedly.

"You hurt me…" I started, still not believing what he had done.

"I know, and I'm sorry."

My mind was too busy arguing with itself. _Should I forgive him? No, he beat you! But he's sorry. Who says that he won't do it again? He's hit rock bottom, so he won't do it again. Why is it so hard for you to just admit that you hate him? I don't! See? You're denying it! Just forget about him and your life will be a whole lot—_

"Plato, I forgive you!" I blurted out. I felt spineless for being so sympathetic to him so soon, but I just wanted things to go back to how they were like before. "I don't know why, but I forgive you. I just want this rivalry between us to end, okay?"

Plato kneeled down next to me, and I receded to the wall. "Vicky…I need to tell you something, but I need you to understand that I will do whatever it takes to prevent it."

He saw the worry in my eyes and took my paw in his to calm me down.

"Macavity…" He squeezed my paw gently to warn me for what's coming next. "Macavity is making arrangements for you two to be mated."

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><p><strong>Hehe...weird, right? I don't know how that idea got into my head. Next chapter probably won't be up until Friday, seeing that I have homework and school projects (bleh), and I've only typed one sentence of it so far.<strong>

**Thanks for reading! Please review, and thank you to those who have reviewed, favorited, and/or followed already!**


	13. Forced

**A/N: This chapter should be...um...interesting! It's also pretty long...well, compared to my most recent chapters...which, again, is not saying much :) Oh, I bet you're going to hate Macavity after this...try to enjoy it anyway. At least Plato is good now...maybe ;) I hope you like it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats. The dance described in this chapter was choreographed by the amazing Gillian Lynne, not me :)**

**And *gasp* I forgot to add in the disclaimer for the past two chapters! Please forgive me, T.S. Eliot, ALW, and RUG.**

**DISCLAIMER for chapter 11: I don't own Cats.**

**DISCLAIMER for chapter 12: I don't own Cats...and that's not going to change.**

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><p>Even if it wasn't possible before, my face turned an even whiter white than it already was.<p>

"Victoria?" Plato said, trying to snap me back into reality. "Vicky? Vick! I don't want you to worry about this, okay? I'm going to take care of it."

"H-how do you know? Maybe it's just a rumor," I said in disbelief.

Plato shook his head. "Macavity told me when you fell asleep in his office. He's really sure about this."

I scrunched up my face in disgust. "Wait, isn't he, like, twenty-eight?"

Plato scoffed, "Try thirty-one. Apparently, age doesn't matter to him. But I'll think of something, Vicky. I promise."

"Think of what?" I panicked. "We can't escape, because he'll just find us. And he'll hurt you…"

He kissed my cheek soothingly and helped me up. "Don't worry about me. I'll think this through."

"Um…" I swallowed hard, feeling uncomfortable talking about the subject. "When will it be?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I'll find out for you, though."

I nodded, but I wasn't completely sure if I could trust Plato yet. What if this was just another sham? Or what if Plato backs out of it because his father intimidates him?

"Where's Adolph?" I asked.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Why?"

"He's my friend, so he should know about this. Maybe he could help!"

Plato sighed. "Let's check his room. Come on." He reluctantly led me to Adolph's room by following the path Adolph went when he ran off. Plato turned the knob of a room at a dead end and entered. There were two sets of wooden bunkbeds—one on either side of the bedroom. Adolph was filing his claws with a sharpening stone on one of the top bunks. He grinned when he saw us coming through the doorway.

"Hey Vick! Whoa, what happened to your side?"

Plato and I looked just above my left hip and found a large, purple bruise occupying that area.

"Oh, Vicky, I…"

I smiled up at Plato to let him know it's okay. "It's fine, Plato. You didn't mean to do it…right?"

He nodded and bit his lip with guilt.

"So…" Adolph began, "what's up?"

"This is serious, Adolph," Plato warned. "No joking around. We need to help Victoria."

"Help Victoria what? What's going on?" He gasped. "You're having kittens?"

"No!" Plato and I yelled at the same time.

I took a deep breath and continued the conversation. "Macavity is going to be my mate."

Adolph's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Wow. That was unexpected. When did you decide that?"

"That's the problem—I didn't! Plato told me that Macavity already arranged everything earlier today. Adolph, will you please help us get out of it? Please?"

Adolph jumped down from the top bunk and stuck the landing with ease. "No one's gonna be mates with _my _queen!" Plato cleared his throat to remind Adolph that he was still in the room. Adolph laughed nervously. "I mean," he corrected himself, "sure, I'll help you."

I beamed at him and then asked to no one in particular, "When do you think he'll tell me?"

"Who knows?" Adolph replied with a shrug. "He might not tell you at all!"

I shrugged back when something Plato had said earlier that I was curious about popped into my head. "Are you really a 'torture machine'?"

Adolph had a look on his face that showed he was full of pride. "You knows it! Been abusing cats since I was a kitty once Macavity took me in. But don't be afraid, Vicky! I don't torture friends."

He must have seen the look of astonishment on my face, because he smirked and leaned against the wall, pleased with my reaction.

"You should know that your copper friend here has done his fair share of killing, too."

I nodded understandingly. I knew about the tasks Plato had to carry out for Macavity, and nearly all of them involved the murder of dozens of cats. I remember hearing Macavity brag about Plato's skill in hand-to-hand combat to his friends. Everlasting Cat knows how many cats he has slain.

"We need to think of a plan to stop this," Plato proclaimed.

"Well, why can't you just escape?" Adolph asked.

Plato and I shared a glance with each other, recalling the day Macavity's henchcats surrounded us about a week after we had escaped.

"We already tried," I told Adolph, "but some of Macavity's henchcats caught us later."

"Oh." He walked over and sat on a bottom bunk, and I joined him there. Plato didn't budge though, his mind too wrapped up in a thought.

"Oh, I know! What if Adolph dressed up as me, and then I secretly fled?" I suggested randomly.

Adolph wrinkled his nose. "Ew, gross! Then _I_ would have to be mated to Macavity! That's a terrible plan."

I raised one eyebrow. "You wouldn't think it's so terrible if I made Plato be me instead of you, would 'ya?"

"Hehe…now that would be funny…"

"Focus!" Plato shouted, getting our attention.

"How can we think of a plan if we barely have any information on it yet?" I thought out loud. "We should wait until Macavity says something about it. Agree?"

Plato and Adolph both gave solemn nods back, and we dispersed to our rooms. Having just taken a nap a couple hours ago, I wasn't tired at all. I sat on the corner of my bed, grooming myself until I was almost spotless. I still had a few bruises here and there, but if I smoothed my fur in a certain way, you would barely be able to tell I had gotten them in the first place.

As I was humming a delightful song about Skimbleshanks, the railway cat and a good friend from the junkyard, a cat knocked on the door to my bedroom. Macavity entered without permission and smiled when he saw me sitting peacefully with my newly groomed fur.

"I'm very pleased that you cleaned yourself, my angel, because tomorrow morning may change your entire life."

I swallowed hard and prepared myself for the worst. "Um, what's going to happen?"

Macavity ignored the question and was about to the shut the door as he was leaving before he spoke again. "Rest right now, and when you wake up, you will be quite surprised, for you will not be in this exact room."

I bobbed my head up and down and put on my best fake smile for him. I waited for his pawsteps to fade away. Once I could hear them no more, I poked my head out my room's door and made sure the coast was clear before sprinting up the hall and making a sharp right turn. At the end of the hallway, I pivoted to the left and searched for the wooden door with the navy blue paint on it. The paint was peeling off, and the hinges looked as if they would fall off any second. I charged into the room, where six toms were snoozing in the dark. I quickly spotted Plato sleeping on a lower bunk. I slammed the door behind me and rushed to him, ignoring the moans coming from the toms I had just woken up.

"Plato, wake up!" I cried, shaking him violently.

"Whoa!" Plato sat up in his bed, startled. "Vicky, what are you doing here? You're going to wake the other toms up!"

Tears began to sting my eyes and a few managed to slip out. "Oh, Plato, it was awful! Macavity came into my room and told me about a surprise he was planning for tomorrow. He said that when I woke up, I wouldn't be in my bedroom. What do you think he means by that? Is tomorrow the day we are going to be mated? What should I do?" The tears kept rolling down my cheeks and dripping onto his sheets.

"Ugh, Plato, who's that?" Sulvar's voice was heard in the dark from the opposite bottom bunk. "Oh, Everlasting Cat, not her again." I heard him facepaw himself and sigh before moving closer to us. "I'll take care of her, Plato. You won't be bothered by her again."

Plato slugged Sulvar across his face and shoved him back down to his bed. "You won't lay a paw on her if you know what's good for you," he hissed.

Sulvar grumbled and cursed to himself while pulling the sheets over his body once more. Plato draped his arm around me and hushed my snuffles.

"And then what happened?" he asked thoughtfully.

"That's it," I wept. "I asked him what the surprise was, but he didn't answer." Tears flooded down my cheeks once again.

"Shut up!" a henchcat yelled, chucking a pillow at my head.

"Back off!" Plato hollered in return, hurling it back. The henchcat yelped as the cushion smacked into his face, causing him to silence his tongue.

He directed his attention to me again. "I won't let him take you away. You're staying right here with me." He patted his bed, and I shyly hopped on.

"Thank you, Plato," I whispered to him. He held me close and hummed a soft tune to help me go to sleep.

By the amount of light streaming through the window, it seemed to be early in the morning, right about dawn. I shifted around a little before realizing Plato's arm was wrapped around me. I turned to look at him, his eyes open already. He seemed relieved that I was there beside him in spite of everything Macavity had said the night before. The other henchcats were still catching a few 'z's in their beds, only Sulvar's bunk was empty.

"Good morning," I murmured.

"We should go wake Adolph up," Plato told me, "so we can think of something and get out of here."

I sat up and rubbed my eyes until I could see clearly. At once, some kind of force pushed me down so my back was flat against the torn mattress.

"Agh!" I yelled incomprehensively.

"Vicky?" Plato inquired with concern. "Are you alright? Can you get up?"

"Yeah, yeah, maybe I'm just tired or something." I tried to rise again, but this time, I couldn't even budge.

"Or not," I corrected myself.

"_Don't move,"_ a voice buzzed in my head, _"or I will send five amperes of current at two thousand volts up your spine."_

I didn't know what that meant, but seeing that Macavity said it, it was probably painful.

_Get out of my head, Macavity!_

"Alright," the Hidden Paw said, materializing beside the bunkbed.

Plato shielded me from his father. "Don't take her away," he said through gritted teeth. "She doesn't want to be your mate."

"How would you know?" he asked casually. "Why don't you let her say so, hm?"

"Macavity, will you unfreeze me?"

"Not now, dear. I'm having a little chat with Plato."

I groaned and remained motionless on the mattress.

"Now Plato," he continued, "if you surrender and hand Victoria over to me, I won't cause any harm to her."

"No," Plato retorted.

"If you didn't notice, Plato, that wasn't a question. If you don't step aside in the next three seconds, I will give her an electric shock so powerful it can kill a human being."

I was shaking with each breath. _Plato better step aside…_

He looked at me with eyes full of sorrow and then back at the smirking Macavity.

"I'm sorry, Victoria," he uttered, and then he shuffled to the side, exposing me to Macavity. The Mystery Cat wore a sly grin on his face as he picked me up and made us disappear in a blink of an eye.

Macavity had teleported me to the same candlelit room I had danced in before, only this time, Macavity had invited a few of his close friends, a mix of toms and queens, and henchcats to watch the ceremony. He set me down and returned the salutes his comrades gave him. I, however, was as stiff as a tree branch.

"Can I move now without dying?" I questioned.

He cackled his signature laugh. "Yes, of course! How else would you be able to do the dance?"

I tried to comprehend what he had just said. "The…_dance_?"

He shook his head in disappointment and his companions laughed at me for being so ignorant. "Oh, my angel, here's how it goes: in order for us to become mates, we must perform a dance that has run in my family for generations."

I gave a shot at changing Macavity's mind. "Um, are you sure you want to do this? I don't think I should be your mate. I mean, I am only sixteen…"

He spun me around and held my arms up in the air. The toms elbowed each other knowingly, and the queens gave squeals of excitement.

"Age doesn't matter to me," he purred, running his paws down my back.

"I'm not ready for this…"

"I am." He picked me up and flipped me over, my legs naturally positioning themselves into the splits. I knew this dance all too well—how dare Macavity say it came from his family! The liar! The Jellicles have been doing this dance for centuries!

Macavity walked slowly in a circle, pleased with how the dance was going so far. The blood was rushing to my head, so I jammed my fists into Macavity's back to make him put me down. He disregarded my actions and placed me delicately on his broad shoulders, making my fluffy, white tail fall in front of him. I momentarily directed my eyes to the audience in the corner. The queens looked teary-eyed, as if they had never seen something so breathtaking. The toms waggled their eyebrows at me, and I shut my eyes to ignore their looks.

Just as Macavity was about to slither his paw down my leg, two toms burst through the door.

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><p><strong>Can you see how Plato is a lot like his father? You know, sweet one minute, insane the next? And they're both...<strong>_**really**_** creepy at times.**

**Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this chapter! What do you think's going to happen next? Something violent...obviously ;)**

**Thank you to Cassieteazer for your advice on the ending! I actually have a few ideas about the ending, and I'm not quite sure which path I should take, but hopefully this story won't end for a while now! Next chapter should be posted...maybe tomorrow? **

**Review, please! Critique is DEFINITELY welcome!**

**Thanks so much for reading! Also thank you to those who have followed me and my story!**


	14. A Bloody Mess

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! I hope you like this chapter. It's kind of...dramatic...and, well, bloody, but I guess you could already tell from the title. Thank you to wonderwumbojellicle who gave me an idea for this chapter! I would also like to mention that somewhere in the middlish-beginning I was inspired to write something from the tragic but true story of Sylvia Likens (for those of you who know her story, you will know what I'm talking about). Rest in peace, Sylvia :'(**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats...Cats belongs to T.S. Eliot, the RUG, and Andrew Lloyd Webber...right?**

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><p>The spectators made a collective gasp as Plato and Adolph barged into the room. The young, spotted tom flung throwing knives at the Napoleon of Crime, who easily avoided them.<p>

"Put me down!" I screamed, clawing at his back. Once he refused to do that, I brought up my knee with all my might to his face. That didn't seem to affect him at all.

"Just finish the dance already!" a cat shouted from the audience. Plato silenced him by putting him in a headlock and snapping his neck. The tom's queenfriend screeched and tried to scurry out of the room, but Adolph knocked her unconscious with his fist before she could. Plato fought off the other toms without difficulty while Adolph slit each cat's throat until not a queen was spared. The violence was too much for me, so I shut my eyes until all the horrific noises were over.

I opened my eyes just a tad and looked through my long eyelashes.

It was gruesome. There wasn't an inch of space on the floor that wasn't covered in blood. Lifeless cats were sprawled across the floor, drenched in their own blood. I had never seen anything so horrific in my life, and to think it was caused by two of my dearest friends!

"You leave now and I won't cause her pain," Macavity said.

"Set her down and leave her alone!" Adolph shouted.

"Fine, if that's what you want." He threw me to the blood-stained floor, and I shielded my face with my front paws. The thick, sticky liquid and plasma soaked my body, and the scent of copper and iron that permeated the air was now coming off of me. Macavity kicked me to the back wall. "But you'll have to get through me, first.".

The first knife was thrown, and I looked away. There were hisses and thuds coming from all three toms. I tried to remain positive, but even with Plato's strength and Adolph's agile body, they didn't stand a chance against Macavity.

At one point, I dared myself to look at the scene. Plato had managed to throw Macavity onto the ground, but the carroty tom kipped-up into a standing position and aimed a kick for Plato's face. The younger tom ducked and blocked Macavity's next maneuver. My eyes scanned the room until I found Adolph lying on his back, temporarily unconscious. A string of blood lined his forehead, and his claws were the color of a black cherry—the unusual shade of Macavity's blood—that might have been from scratching The Hidden Paw. I tried to make my way over to him, but somebody tugged at my hind paws and dragged me back. At the same time, Macavity knocked Plato out with his fist and calmly walked to my side. The cat that had pulled me back was one of Macavity's close friends who woke up from being out cold due to Plato's attack. The tom had blood drizzling down his right temple, and his lip was bleeding as well. His eyes softened when he turned to look at a motionless tri-colored queen on the floor but then turned as fierce as ever when he looked back at me. The disdain was clear on his face, and he spat on me like I was a piece of junk.

"Look! Look at what your friends did to my mate! You…it's all your fault. Now you're going to get it."

Macavity pinned my arms to my ears and held me down while his friend took a sharp knife from the dead henchcat next to him and admired it from multiple angles. "This should do the trick," he said. "You can't help what you are—you're a pollicle and proud of it. It's time your stomach displayed it to warn others about who you really are."

I furiously kicked my legs at him, but he restrained them and came closer to my blood-stained body. I shrieked deafeningly and tried to wriggle out of their grasps. Just as he pricked my skin to carve the letter "I", a dagger pierced his neck, and he collapsed with a thud. Macavity intended to complete his friend's task of etching "I'm a pollicle and proud of it!" onto my stomach, but he received a blow to his face before any mutilation was done. Plato maliciously beat his father as I crawled over to Adolph to wake him up. I licked off the blood on his forehead and shook his shoulders. He began to stir and beamed his signature smile when he saw me looking down at him. He sat up and held his throbbing head with one paw. I pulled him into a hug, thankful that he was still alive and well. He nuzzled my neck tenderly until Plato strode to us.

"He's unconscious for—" I cut him off when I attacked him with my arms wide open, and he accepted my hug. His arms had large, bloody gashes going down them, but nothing he wouldn't be able to handle. Plato kissed my forehead gently and rubbed my ruby red back before continuing his statement.

"Macavity's unconscious for now, so we need to get out of here as soon as possible."

"Where are you going to go?" Adolph asked.

"We'll have to stay in the streets in the slums of London," Plato answered. "Maybe later we can pay a visit to Victoria's home and convince everyone there that she is one of them."

I reached a crimson paw out to Adolph, and he took it in his own. "Come with us," I said.

Adolph glanced at Plato, and, when he saw no emotion in his chocolate-colored eyes, he pumped his fist in the air and yelled, "Oh yeah! C'mon, let's go!" and lead us out of the room. We were stopped at the end of the hallway by four huge henchcats, all whom Plato and Adolph killed on the spot. It was quite uncomfortable for me to have to watch this, and I gawked at the last broken body as it fell to the floor of the hall. Plato grabbed my paw, and the three of us darted to the nearest exit, encountering a few burly toms on the way. One grabbed me from behind, and I managed to press down hard on the pressure point in his shoulder and the base of his throat. I giggled to myself when Adolph shuddered, my actions reminding him of our past confrontation. A few sliced throats and broken necks later, we finally arrived at a steel door that lead outside to the back of the warehouse. Plato rotated the knob and shut the door behind us. We all dashed through block after block until we felt it was safe enough to settle for a day. We found an alley teeming with mice and had a short, delicious lunch before relaxing a little. Nearly all the snow had melted, so the ground was pretty damp. The temperature was rising, probably because the sun was at its highest point right now. Grey clouds seemed to be speeding across the sky at a noticeable pace. There was no doubt it would rain soon.

"So…" Adolph started, breaking the silence. "How was dancing with Macavity?"

I thwacked his arm playfully. "The worst experience of my life. How was being knocked out by Macavity?"

Adolph shrugged. "Painful."

I giggled but stopped when I saw Plato's face turn dead serious. He wiped the blood away from my waist and examined the bruise he had given me earlier. It was still purple, but it had hints of green and brown to it as well. The blood on my shoulders had dried up, and Plato had to pick at it with his claws to remove it. The bruises on my shoulders Macavity had created were a pale green and beginning to fade away. Plato tried to clean me as best as he could, and Adolph helped, too. There were only a few smudges and smears left when they finished. Then, Plato looked at me with somber eyes as I wiped away the blood on his forehead with my paw. Adolph casually rested his elbow on my shoulder and snacked on a grey mouse.

"I'm sorry if my father hurt you, Vick. And…I'm sorry if I hurt you…which I did…" Plato began awkwardly.

"Oh, yeah, and I owe you some lunch, Vick," Adolph added, plopping the tail of the mouse he ate into my paw.

"Gee, thanks, Adolph. I'm sure a mouse's tail will cover the dinner I vomited up!"

"Victoria!" Plato tilted my chin toward his face. "I never meant to hurt you. It's my biggest regret. I would die to protect you. You know that, right? I will do anything to regain your trust."

His words touched me so deeply, I couldn't speak. I wrapped my arms around his neck and rested my head on his chest, feeling it rise with every nervous breath. Adolph tapped my shoulder and cleared his throat, signaling for me to twist my body to face him.

"Um, let's not forget who saved you on a _number_ of occasions," he hinted. I giggled again and wrapped my arms around him in a tight, friendly hug, but he didn't see it that way.

"Oh, I think I'm in the Heaviside Layer," he breathed, and I laughed at his exaggerated statement. After he refused to let go, I thumped the back of his head to snap some sense into him.

"I still can't believe you were about to become Macavity's mate—that is, if I hadn't come along and saved the day," Adolph remarked arrogantly.

"Don't be so conceited," I teased. "But thanks for saving me." I nuzzled him lightly, and he nuzzled back. Plato seemed to have a note of jealousy in his eye.

"Lighten up!" I elbowed him, and he punched my arm in return. I clutched my arm, surprised at the amount of force he had thrown in his punch.

"You know, you're a lot stronger than you think you are!" I pouted. When all he did was smirk, I tackled him to the ground. We rolled around in the dirt while Adolph laughed his head off.

I think the longest time I had Plato pinned down was about half a second. He, on the other hand, could restrain me with one paw behind his back—which he did. I laughed heartily, enjoying my time away from Macavity. Suddenly, Adolph screeched a warrior cry and dived for Plato, throwing him against the ground.

"Don't. Mess. With my. QUEEN!" he yelled as he tussled with the auburn tom. They violently rolled around in the dirt the way toms do. I chortled as the sixteen- and seventeen-year olds attempted to beat the other in the wrestling match. The older one ultimately dominated the spotted tom, and I watched as Adolph grumbled to himself while walking back to where I was still lying. Drops of water tickled my nose as they began to fall from the sky. A blanket of fog was forming around the buildings, getting denser and denser by the minute. The rain cleansed my matted fur and rehydrated me. Plato padded my way and curled up next to me. That's when we both noticed the new bruise forming on my brachium.

"Vicky, I…I…it was an accident…" he stuttered.

"I know," I said, cutting him off. "It doesn't hurt. Don't be bothered by it."

He was beginning to lose control of his temper. "I promised that I wouldn't cause you anymore pain, and what do I do? I go ahead and hurt you!"

"We were just playing around. I still trust you, Plato. This isn't a big deal."

He sighed heavily. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Adolph suddenly decided to change the subject. "Hey, where'd you all go?"

I lifted my head up to see that the fog had made the air almost opaque. Adolph's voice seemed to come from just a few feet away.

"We're right here, Adolph. Just take a few steps forward."

"Okay, 'cause I can't see a thi—AAHHH!" Before he could say another word, Adolph tripped over my feet and fell on top of me.

"Agh!" I yelped.

"Oops! Sorry, Victoria."

"Adolph?"

"Yes?"

"GET OFF OF ME!"

"Yeesh! I said I was sorry!"

So there the three of us were—lying on the ground while some baby mice scuttled away from their mommas and the rain drenching us all.

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><p><strong>So it ended all happy...yay!...but you haven't seen the last of Macavity yet. The next chapter will hopefully be posted up tomorrow! But it seems that I keep on saying that and I end up posting it a week later : haha.**

**Thanks for reading, and please Review!**

**N.B.: This is me from the future...once again. I wanted to give a thank you to all of you who enjoy my OC, Adolph. I'm glad you like him! To be honest, I was a bit nervous about writing an OC that would become a big part of the story, but I'm liking how he is turning out, and I hope you do too!**


	15. What Do You Want?

**A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, but I wanted to give you a cliffhanger of some sort. I hope you enjoy! This chapter is...um...weird. **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats: the musical.**

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><p>Not long after drifting to sleep, I felt heavy breathing on the back of my neck. I turned to see who it was, but I barely got a glimpse of its face before a paw clamped over my mouth and another over my eyes. I knew better than to struggle, for that would be ineffective.<p>

"Don't. Make. A sound," a gruff voice commanded as the cat led me away. My eyelashes fluttered against the pads of his paws when I blinked, and it was hard to see past his paw.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked impulsively, my voice sounding muffled.

The cat slammed me against the wall of the nearest alley and began to whisper in my ear menacingly.

"What did I tell you? I said 'don't make a sound'. You speak one more time and I won't hesitate to use the knife in my belt. Understand?"

I nodded, and he continued following the street lamps, relying on them to make his way through the darkness and fog. A car zoomed by, making me whimper faintly. Unfortunately, the tom took my cry too seriously, and he shoved me up against a building again. To reach for his knife, he lifted his paw off from my eyes, allowing me to see who my kitnapper was. I recognized the leopard spots right away and concluded that it was one of Macavity's toughest henchcats—Artemis.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean fow that to happen. I'm afwaid of cahs," I explained as he tightened his paw over my mouth.

"Shut up!" Artemis bellowed. He placed the knife directly at the base of my throat.

I did as I was told and took a minute to look deep into his jade green eyes. Something told me that he didn't want to kill a kitten.

"Macavity doesn't care what condition you're in as long as you're not with that pollicle-of-a-tom Plato. He gave me permission to cause you pain if I needed to, so don't think I won't do it."

I nodded my head again but didn't believe him when he said he would hurt me if he had to.

We walked back to the warehouse in silence, a few cars passing by on the way. My shoulders tensed as each one zipped by. He snickered at my pathetic weakness. Once Artemis decoded the door and stepped inside, I was immediately welcomed with spit from the other henchcats that lined the hallways.

"Where's Macavity?" Artemis asked a particular dark brown tom.

"In a cell," he responded, adding to the pile of spit growing on my hind paws. "He's messing with some stupid prisoner who whines all day. I sure hope he silences her tongue."

They both chuckled before Artemis led me to my old cell, which was currently being occupied by a reddish-orange Somali queen with an extra bushy tail. The top half of the cell had no bars, so Macavity's head could not be seen from a standing position. The sounds were clear, though—it seemed as if this queen was being beaten to a pulp. She was so weak it was even hard for her to wail. I grimaced when I saw beads of a red liquid trickle down her body. After enjoying the moment for a little while, Artemis decided it was time to let Macavity know I was back.

"Mac, I got her right here."

The yellow-eyed cat gave one last cruel kick to the possibly dying queen and got out of the cell. I tried my best to be brave, because I knew Macavity, and if there was one thing he loved, it would be to torture cats that are afraid of him. He cupped my chin in his paw and angled it in different ways to examine me.

"Any damage done?" he asked.

"No," Artemis answered hesitantly.

Macavity smirked. "No matter. I'll deal with her right now." And with that, he teleported the two of us to his main office. At once I was shoved and pinned to the ground by The Mystery Cat. Fear began to arise within me and I began to struggle impetuously.

"You idiot pollicle, you should know better than to resist me," Macavity said with venom in his voice. He reached for a metal bucket in the corner, and I braced myself for a beating from it. Instead, he lifted it over my head and forced the water inside it to go into my mouth. I immediately began gagging and had the sensation of drowning. But Macavity didn't stop—he used magic to refill the bucket and forced the water into my mouth repeatedly. When he believed I had enough, he slammed the bucket against my head and threw it to the side. I gasped and wheezed, but The Hidden Paw no longer cared for me. I tried to get up and cough up the water, but Macavity pushed me back down. I sputtered helplessly while the ginger tom admired my reaction to his torture.

"I should've known you were nothing but a stupid Jellicle. You worthless, insignificant queen!" He made another attempt at engraving into my stomach again, and I tried my best at holding back his paw.

"Please, let me go Macavity. Please!" I wailed.

"You should have thought about the consequences before running away," he said wrathfully. I screamed Plato's name over and over again, even though he was sleeping soundly two miles away.

"I did not keep you captive just so you could fall in love with my tomson. I brought you here so you would fall in love with me!"

I widened my eyes in shock. "Hurting me won't make me like you!"

I noticed he slackened his grip on the knife, and I snatched it away from him. He seemed too lost in his own problems to care, though.

"Then what will make you happy?" he snapped back rudely, raising his voice.

I started to cry at his loud tone. I was acting like a kitten, so what? Technically, I still am a kitten.

"I want you to leave me and the rest of the Jellicles alone!" I sobbed. He, however, ignored my cries and tried to seize his knife. From my lying position, I threw it as far as I could across the room.

"Oh, my pure white angel, you seem to forget that I am magical," he said. "I don't need a knife to kill you, though. I have other means of torture."

"What do you want, Macavity?" I screamed at him.

"My dear, I want you."

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><p><strong>Anybody know what that was that Macavity did to Victoria? It's called waterboarding, and common use of torture. Unfortunately, many, many countries use it. It's quite awful :( But since Macavity has a soft spot for Vicky, he would never make it as painful.<strong>

**Ok, so that ending wasn't exactly...an ending. And by ending I don't mean ending of the story! Hopefully I will be able to type the next chapter today and tomorrow and post it tomorrow. Next chapter will start from where this chapter ended abruptly. Questions? Comments? Critique? Please review! Also, I'd like it if you'd tell me if this story seems rushed. I hadn't meant for Macavity to come in this chapter, but I couldn't resist! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	16. Initiation, Chains, and More Executions

**A/N: Hi! There's a reason why I was not able to update sooner. This chapter seemed kind of pointless and random so I kept on extending it so there would be interesting things happening. It's still kind of pointless and random, which is why it's pretty long (hence the long chapter name). I hope you enjoy! Some pretty weird things happen...**

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><p>I didn't know what to say. "Y-you barely kn-know me!" I finally spluttered out.<p>

"No, my angel, you don't know me. I've been watching you ever since you were a little kitten. I've seen how your body moves when it dances—gracefully, unlike the other Jellicles. Your white coat characterized and distinguished you from the others. And you were so innocent—not once did you cause any trouble. And now you're sixteen…you see, Victoria? I know you more than you know yourself. I also know how ignorant you are—you are obviously not aware of the fact that I get what I want, when I want it. You can't fight against me, Victoria. I want you, and you will be mine, even if it means I must kill my own tomson."

I wriggled under his grasp, but he just tightened his grip on my wrists. "Don't bring Plato into this!"

He curled the corners of his mouth into an ominous smile. "If you don't want Plato hurt, you will obey me."

I nodded vigorously, hoping it would put an end to this nightmare. Macavity escorted me back to my bedroom while I felt ashamed to have escaped for only one day. He threw me onto the mattress as if I was a piece of garbage, and I lay there motionless as he stroked my fur soothingly with my head on his lap.

"You're mine, all mine," he whispered. "No one is going to take you away from me. You belong to me." He trailed his paw up and down my back, making me shiver.

"You said the same thing to Demeter," I whispered through sniffles, "and then you…you…you tried to get rid of her."

"She was foolish. I don't need her anymore." He rubbed my neck relaxingly. My eyelids were becoming droopy, but I didn't dare let them close.

Macavity smiled when he noticed his massaging was making me sleepy. "You may sleep, my love."

I shook my head. Who knew what Macavity would do while I was asleep?

"No," I replied with more strength in my voice. "I don't trust you, Macavity. I never will."

"You _will_ go to sleep," he commanded. "I am the magical one here, aren't I?"

Macavity rubbed harder at my neck until my eyelids began to sag. He pressed harder and harder, causing me to fall into a deep slumber.

I woke up to find chains attached to my wrists and ankles. I was in a dark chamber with full-sized bars trapping me in.

"Good morning," a deep voice said. Macavity entered my cell as suave as ever. I hissed and dashed toward him only to be restrained by the shackles.

"I think a few days in confinement should clear your head," he said. "I will release you sooner if you show good behavior."

I didn't reply—I was too busy trying to shimmy my tiny wrists out of the cuffs.

"I have a visitor here for you," Macavity told me. He opened the cell door, and yanked Plato in. The auburn tom fell to his knees in front of me and looked into my eyes.

I narrowed my eyes at Macavity. "Where's Adolph?"

"Your friend has run off, and we haven't found him yet. But I can assure you we will give him a proper punishment as well." He cackled his signature laugh. "I'll leave you two alone for a minute." He left, still laughing maniacally, and slammed the bars shut behind him.

Plato and I didn't say anything for a while. I kneeled down uncomfortably, the chains rattling as I went. This must have been awkward for Plato, since this was our second failed attempt at escaping—not counting the time Plato had changed his mind and betrayed me.

I mustered up the courage to speak. "I don't want to escape anymore, Plato. I want to just stay here in Macavity's warehouse with you and Adolph."

Plato opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

"I'm sure about this, Plato," I filled in for him. "There is too much of a risk. Macavity can do whatever he wants with me, but it doesn't matter, because I know you are here and by my side."

Plato didn't respond. I was afraid he had gone mute.

"Plato?" I leaned towards him. "Did you hear what I said? I rather stay here and be tortured than get you and Adolph killed."

"I-I-I…I-I…" he stammered. Finally, he blurted out with all his energy, "I love you, Victoria," and sprinted out of the cell. My mouth hung wide open in shock. Was he embarrassed to admit his feelings to me? Is that why he immediately ran out of the cell?

As I pondered these thoughts, I reclined on my back and stared up at the ceiling. _I'm not going to escape anymore. This is my new home, and I'm going to make the best out of it. I don't care what Macavity does, because he is a sick and repulsive tom, and everything he does is against my will. I have Plato and Adolph, and that's all I really need. _

My thoughts were interrupted when a group of rowdy henchcats stopped by my cell.

"There she is!" the burliest of the three remarked.

"How's life being Macavity's pretty little mate?" a black cat hooted.

"I'm not his mate!" I retorted. "Leave me alone!"

"Ooh, what're you going to do to us? Gag us until we're unconscious?" the shortest of them mocked. They burst out in several fits of laughter.

"I would if I could!" I yelled, getting onto my hind paws.

"Feisty, aren't 'ya?" the buff one teased. "What do 'ya say we teach her a lesson, Jerrod?" He elbowed the black cat.

Jerrod elbowed him back knowingly. "I say Macavity will be quite pleased once we're done roughing her up!" They guffawed again and entered the cell. The short one stayed behind, though.

"I don't know, toms. She's kinda pertty," he admitted. I blushed at his comment. He was most likely a new member of Macavity's henchcats.

"C'mon, Ozzie. It's the initiation—a new henchcat has to cause physical and/or emotional pain to a prisoner. And since you failed at emotionally hurting her by calling her 'pertty,' I guess you'll have to go with physical assault. It's fun!" the burly one encouraged.

"Well…okay. If you say so," Ozzie said nervously. He joined his comrades in the cell, where I backed up against the wall.

"Here's how it's done," Jerrod instructed. "First, you grab her by the shoulder so she doesn't run away. Umar?" He looked at the brawny cat and cocked his head toward me.

"I'm on it," Umar responded. He pressed my shoulder against the wall. I gave him the death glare.

"Now kick her in the gut, Ozzie!" Jerrod demanded.

I raised an eyebrow at him. His palms were sweating like crazy, and he was biting his lip from uneasiness.

"Um…okay." He stepped forward reluctantly and punched me in the gut. I almost laughed it was so weak. In return, I kicked him hard in the groin. Apparently, that was enough to send him running.

Umar slapped me and rotated my body until my face was squashed against the wall.

"You've got some nerve," he whispered hotly into my ear. "Luckily, we know how to straighten out kitties like you." He grabbed my headfur and threw me backwards to the ground as the chains clinked annoyingly.

"Ozzie's right—she is a pretty lass," Jerrod observed. I hissed at him menacingly.

"Who cares?" Umar said. "Someone oughta teach this kitten some manners!" He stepped on my cheek with his hind paw, but Jerrod shoved him away.

"Let's just leave her alone," he proposed. "She's already got Mac torturing her every day. I bet the poor thing misses her home."

"If you're too wimpy to throw a punch, then just get out!" Umar retorted.

"Fine, I will!" He stormed off but spoke over his shoulder, "Just remember what I said."

After Jerrod slammed the bars shut, Umar stooped down beside me.

"You miss your home?" he asked apathetically.

"Yes," I answered, even though he probably didn't care. "But I've given up on my family. They've all forgotten me. This is my new home, whether I like it or not."

"I see," Umar said, not paying much attention to what I was telling him. "You, know, if you weren't Mac's, I'd keep you for myself." He trailed his paw from my shoulder down to my waist, causing me to quiver violently.

"There, you like that, don't you?" he said in a susurrent tone.

"Don't touch me!" I screeched, momentarily distracting him. I scrambled up and away from him. Macavity materialized behind him with his arms crossed. He seized Umar by his shoulder and spun him around.

"What do you think you're doing?" Macavity asked him, seething with rage.

"Mac! Boss, I was just—"

Before Umar could say another word, Macavity snatched the dagger from his henchcat's belt and dug it deep into his heart. Umar collapsed, the blade impaling his chest. Blood spurted out like nobody's business. Macavity chuckled and ambled toward me. I was trembling hard at his actions. Umar's face grew pale, and his blood spilled out with each heartbeat. The Mystery Cat enfolded my waist with his arms and kissed my cheek tenderly.

"He won't bother you again, my dear."

I did nothing for a couple of days. Each morning Macavity passed by my cell, threw in two mice, and expected me to make it last the entire the day. I could feel myself getting weaker and thinner. By day three, I could barely swallow the mice Macavity gave me.

"My angel, what is the matter?" Macavity asked me thoughtfully when he noticed it was getting harder for me to choke down a mouse.

"I need more food," I said, though it came out sounding greedy.

"Well, if you can't even eat one mouse, I would imagine that you are having _too much_ food." And with that, he snatched the remainders of the mice and left the cell, leaving me with half a mouse that day.

The next day, I woke up at mid-afternoon. Macavity strolled by my cell once again, but instead of throwing in food, he tossed in something else.

Adolph stood in front of me with a fake cheery smile.

"Heeeey, Vicky," he greeted me. His false smile quickly faded once he saw the condition I was in. "Everlasting Cat, Vick, what did he do to you?"

I hugged my knees tightly and leaned my back against the wall. "Mac's been starving me for the last three days," I whispered faintly.

Adolph gritted his teeth and balled up his paws into fists. "I can't believe him! That pollicle! How dare he torture you like that! I swear, Vicky, the next time I see him, I'll—"

I cleared my throat loud enough for him to hear. He paused and sat down in front of me, crossing his legs in the shape of a pretzel.

"Have you heard from Plato? Is he alright?" I inquired. "Are _you_ alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, and yeah. Macavity's got us both on death row."

I gasped dramatically. "Death row? Oh, this is all my fault!" I buried my head in my paws

Adolph shook his head. "There's no one to blame but Macavity. It'll be alright, Vick." He tried to remove my paws from my face, but I swatted his arm away.

"How could you say that?" I nearly yelled at him. "Nothing's alright! I don't want to lose you two!" I broke down as a new wave of tears flooded over my cheeks.

"There's nothing we can do about it!" he shouted in frustration. "Plato's execution is in a few hours, and mine is tomorrow. It can't be helped now."

"I won't let it happen. I won't!" I vowed between sobs.

"Don't waste your time, Victoria. You can't change Macavity's mind." Adolph sighed deeply and scratched his ear.

"Where's Plato?" I questioned in a shaky voice.

"Vicky…"

"Tell me!" I insisted.

He exhaled and gave in. "I think Macavity's locked him up in his office."

I stood up and began to walk to the exit, forgetting I was still chained down. The chains yanked me back, and I struggled against them.

With an exasperated sigh, I asked, "Do you mind if you catch me some mice, Adolph?"

Adolph gave a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Of course, Vicky."He quietly slipped out of the cell and pounced on a few brown mice. Minutes later, he came back with his arms full of small rodents and spread them out on the floor. We each grabbed one and stuffed them in our mouths. He swallowed his with ease, while I had to force mine down with my own saliva.

After a few moments of silence, Adolph stood up and dusted himself off. "I should be heading back to my cell. You eat the rest."

"No!" I cried, reaching for his leg. I held him back as he tried to leave. "Please, stay!"

He hesitated and sat back down. "I guess I can stay until Macavity takes me away."

I smiled at him, and he couldn't resist grinning back. We didn't say much, though—his company was just enough to make me feel better.

I knocked on my metal shackles with my fist. "Think you're strong enough to break these cuffs?"

Adolph laughed cheerfully. "Sorry, Vick. Only magic can break it."

I scrunched up my nose. "Phooey."

He laughed again and gulped down another mouse.

"How did they find you? Where did you go?" I asked suddenly.

"That's a funny story, Vicky. I actually went to the Jellicles."

I gasped again. "And then what happened?"

"Well…" He chewed the meat stuck in his fingernails. "They kicked me out. I guess they're still mad about that one time I came and terrorized them."

I tried to recall that time. It seemed to be a couple years ago. "I think I remember that. Were you the one who almost killed Admetus?"

Adolph blushed a little. "Uh…yeah. Sorry about that."

I giggled. "That was the past. He's alive and well now."

"ADOLPH!" a voice rang out unexpectedly. "Where is that filthy pollicle?"

"Charming, isn't he?" Adolph said sarcastically.

"Very," I played along.

A steaming Napoleon of Crime entered without permission. He picked Adolph up by his ear and began to drag him out.

"Stop!" I cried. I struggled against the chains and finally got Macavity's attention.

"What?" he shouted.

My lower lip began to quiver. "Don't kill him. Please."

"Not until tomorrow I won't," he replied, continuing his walk out the exit. I dived at his hind paws and wrapped my arms around them to keep him from taking another step further.

"Macavity, I'm begging you—please don't kill the only friends I have. Please…" _This is your one chance at having a heart, Macavity—take it._

"They are disobedient and untrustworthy," Macavity stated, and my hopes faded away. "I have no use for them now. Plato's execution will be in a two hours. I will be kind enough to let you visit him." He whistled, and a henchcat popped up right away.

"Take Adolph to his cell," he ordered. The henchcat saluted and dragged Adolph away.

"Take me to Plato!" I bawled.

The Monster of Depravity snapped twice, teleporting us to his office. Plato was resting on a mattress Macavity had thrown on the ground for him in the corner. I slowly stepped toward him, feeling a bit strange without the shackles on my wrists and ankles. In a cloud of smoke, Macavity left, leaving me alone with a snoozing Plato. I kneeled beside him and shook his shoulders. In instinct, his arm flew out, and I scrambled backwards. I jiggled him again, and he thrust his arm at me, only I caught it in my paw before it made contact with my face. He began to stir and opened his droopy eyes to see me with a tear-stained face.

"V-Vicky?" Plato said, not fully awake.

"Yeah, it's me," I whispered. He sat up on the mattress and ran his fingers through his headfur, still a bit dazed.

"Why are you so…so…"

"Thin?" I finished for him. "Mac's been famishing me. How are you feeling?"

He gave a small smile but didn't respond. _What? Why are you smiling? You think this is funny?_

"What are we going to do, Plato?" I asked, my voice full of worry.

"Nothing," he plainly replied. "I said I would die for you, and I will."

I screamed in aggravation, making him have a look of shock on his face.

"Why is it that you both are saying that? Adolph said that 'it would be alright', but it's NOT! NOTHING'S ALRIGHT! EVERYTHING IS TERRIBLE! HOW CAN YOU LET YOUR DAD KILL YOU? I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT YOU AND ADOLPH!"

Plato was flabbergasted at my sudden change in tone. "Victoria, I don't want you hurt…"

I pushed him backwards irately. "AND YOU GETTING HURT DOESN'T MATTER? DON'T YOU SEE HOW THIS WILL AFFECT ME? DO YOU CARE ABOUT ME AT ALL, PLATO?"

Plato slapped me moderately lightly and grabbed my wrists. "That's enough, Victoria! Adolph and I are doing this for you. It's not preventable. If we don't die, you will."

I dropped my head in his lap and shed tears. "I can't let this happen," I blubbered. "I c-c-can't l-let it h-happen." Right when I said that, Macavity stepped into the room and saw me crying into Plato's lap. The yellow-eyed tom pulled me away from his tomson and slapped him across the face.

"You see? This is exactly why I need to get rid of him. I can't let my own tomson get between us, Victoria." He kicked the young tom harshly and strode over to me. I tried to pass him to get to Plato, but he blocked my way.

"No-no," Macavity scolded. I crossed my arms and pouted like a young kitten. He just laughed and tried to lead me to the door. I swung my arm at him and smacked him right in the face. I ran to Plato and latched my arms around his shoulders. He held me close as Macavity walked toward us, shaking the building with each step. I was breathing rapidly and Plato was too, his breath hot in my ear. I whimpered noisily, but Plato kept a strong face and stared his father down.

"You dare defy me?" he hissed at me. "If you disobey me one more time, I will go to the Jellicle junkyard and murder every last one of those filthy creatures. So, what will it be, my angel? Your friends or your family?"

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><p><strong>Cliffhanger ;) Was that weird or what? I hope you liked it! Please review and critique!<strong>

**Has anybody noticed that Victoria is becoming more and more insane as the story goes? This is what Macavity and his warehouse does to cats :/ It's all leading up to something big...**

**To Bombastrap: I fixed that part in the last chapter. Thanks for telling me ;)**

**Thanks for reading :) Next chapter should be up...Friday?**


	17. Hate

**A/N: Hey hey hey! I don't know exactly how to describe this chapter, except for that it's weird...just like all my other ones. Enjoy!**

***Me from the future*:**

**To Bombastrap: That's a really good point, and I actually was thinking about that! I think it's one of those things that I don't really know when to add in, does that make sense? Like, I never really mentioned Vicky going to the bathroom at all for this entire story...haha because it's kind of implied. But you make a really good point, and I wish I had added that [Victoria drinking water] in (I'm from the future, so...) Thanks!**

**To sarbear2255: Thank you for the critique! I will work on that more :) Thanks!**

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><p>I cried into Plato's shoulder. He quietly whispered into my ear, "'My family,'" but I never said it out loud.<p>

"You have one hour to decide," Macavity declared. "If you haven't made your mind up by then, Plato's execution will be carried on, as will Adolph's." He turned and strutted out of the room.

Plato hung his head in his paws. "You're so foolish, Victoria. I told you to choose your family. So now you're going to have the Jellicle tribe wiped out just to save Adolph and me?"

"Do you _want_ to die, Plato?" I blurted out. "Because right now, it looks as if you are begging me to have you killed!"

Plato looked stunned. "Of course not! Vicky, how could you say such a thing?"

"_Me?_ You are not making any sense at all! I don't know about you, but I am going to find a way to save you!" I stomped to the door and opened it a crack before Plato got up and slammed it shut again.

"I can't let you do that, Victoria. You're going to get yourself hurt," he said, his voice full of concern.

I gnashed my teeth and clenched my fists. By now I was steaming so much I felt left eye twitch a little.

"FINE!" I screamed at him and broke down. My paws failed to catch my tears, and they plopped to the floor. Pools of the salty fluid formed on the black linoleum flooring. Plato cradled me in his arms and rocked me back and forth. _I hate you, Macavity. Hate you, hate you, hate you._

After a long period of silence, a loud thumping noise was heard, and Macavity nearly pounded the door down with his fist.

"Times up!" he snarled. "Victoria?"

I glanced up at Plato for his approval. He nodded and I said with a trembling voice, "I choose my family."

Macavity grinned evilly. "Excellent choice." He dragged Plato away, but I followed them both.

"Go away, Victoria," Plato commanded.

"No!" I yelled defiantly. "I want to at least be there before you…go."

Macavity groaned in annoyance and continued to lead Plato to the Execution Room—the same one where Cosette was electrocuted. Macavity's favorite henchcats were there as usual. Two Norwegian cats snatched me away and held me back as Plato was being strapped down to a new chair that had been nailed down.

"You've come a long way to prove yourself to me, Plato," Macavity commented. "I'm sorry it has to end like this."

"Macavity, stop and think," I told him. "How can you live with yourself knowing that you killed your own tomson?"

"Oh, I can," he replied coolly, "seeing that I have already done it before."

My jaw dropped. "Plato, you have a—"

"Brother, yes. Or, I at least _had_ one." He exhaled deeply.

I narrowed my eyes at the yellow-eyed tom. "You're a monster, Macavity!"

"Why, thank you, my dear," he responded. _Not the reaction I was looking for! _

Macavity's paws sparked with electricity. I wailed until my throat felt raw.

"Toms?" Macavity gestured towards me.

"Yes, sir," the cat on my right replied. He covered my mouth with his paw, and, as much as I bit down on his flesh, he didn't let go.

"Ready?" Macavity asked. The henchcats cheered and pumped their fists into the air. Sparks were, once again, flying from Macavity's paws like crazy. He concentrated hard on his paws, generating even more sparks. So much power and energy was being used that the single lamp above Plato flickered before dying. We were all able to see clearly, though, because of all the light glowing from The Mystery Cat's paws.

I couldn't let this happen. I stepped on the henchcats' hind paws and licked the pads of their front paws. When that proved unsuccessful, I screamed with all my might (so that it would be heard through the henchcat's paw), "I HATE YOU!"

Macavity turned to face me. "What did you say?" he hissed.

The henchcat removed his slimy paw from my mouth, and I screamed even louder than the first time, "I HATE YOU SO, SO MUCH!"

The Monster of Depravity stamped over to me and enclosed his fingers around my throat. "You sicken me. After all I have done for you, you treat me like this. I am shocked." He tightened his grip around my throat, but not enough to choke me.

"You strive to make me happy, but you fail miserably," I spat out. "How could you think I would ever love you? You don't even know what love is, I bet."

"Shut up!" He slapped me, and the two henchcats backed away slowly. "You dim-witted Jellicle. You have caused me enough trouble, but to hear this from you is…too awful for words to describe." He exhaled slowly and softened his voice a bit. "I know you, Victoria. You would never hate any cat. You are too good. You don't hate me, my little angel, and you know it."

I looked away, knowing that he was right. "I despise you…" I muttered.

"No, you don't, Victoria." He grabbed my small wrists and held them firmly. I felt my cheeks redden in embarrassment, for all the other henchcats—including Plato, were watching or looking over their shoulders at us.

"I won't hate you…" I took a deep breath and hoped for the best. "If you don't hurt my friends or family."

He narrowed his yellowish-bronze eyes at me. "You'll have to say it, then."

I cocked my head in confusion. "I don't hate you?"

"No." He intertwined our fingers together. "You love me. You worship me. You can't stay away from me."

_Oh, no. Not here. Not now. Especially NOT in front of Plato!_

"I…admire you?"

"No, it's more than just admiration."

"I—"

"Victoria, don't! You don't have to say it!" Plato suddenly shouted out. Macavity and I both ignored him. The Hidden Paw stared deep into my eyes, his eyes full of hunger and wanting.

"I…love…you…Macavity." I think I just threw up a little.

Plato growled and slammed his head against the back of the chair. The rest of the henchcats were in complete astonishment and surprise.

"The execution has been canceled," Macavity called out, keeping his eyes locked in place. "You are dismissed."

The henchcats saluted simultaneously and marched out the door, leaving me, Macavity, and Plato alone in the Execution Room. The single light flicked back on, and Macavity grinned devilishly at me.

"Release Plato," I ordered him.

"No." He held onto my paws and led me out of the room. As soon as we got to the hallway, I pulled myself away from him and gave him a death glare.

"What was that? Why didn't you free him?" I questioned.

"Because I knew you would go running back to his arms," he replied without hesitation. "And that is against our compromise."

I stepped on his hind paw, but he didn't react.

"Come on," he said, pulling on my paw and leading me down the hallway. I didn't ask him where he was taking me, because I would have probably complained. He guided me up to the third floor and pushed on one of the doors labeled "Roof". I almost gasped—the night was so beautiful. The view was amazing—and, oh, how my heart ached when I saw the junkyard! The stars twinkled as bright as ever, and I quickly found the brightest one—the North Star, as my mother had called it. Macavity led me to the edge of the flat rooftop and sat us both down, gazing out into the distance.

"It's…very pretty," I said, trying to break the silence.

"What?" Macavity asked, not taking his eyes off of the stars.

"The night," I replied timidly.

He slowly nodded and continued to stare at the sky.

"Um…thanks for saving Plato and Adolph. That was…" I gulped. "Nice."

Macavity chuckled. "I'm not giving you anymore chances. This is your last one."

I nodded and scratched my ear restlessly.

"You have to be obedient," he continued. "I don't want to see any more cheekiness from you, or I will have them killed in an instant."

I yawned and politely covered my mouth.

"Tired?" Macavity plainly asked.

"Hungry," I corrected him. He rested my head on his lap and brushed the fur away from my eyes.

"Don't worry," he said comfortingly. "Starting tomorrow, I will give you all the food you can wish for."

"How about food now?" I smiled cutely.

"No. Stay and enjoy the night." My smile faded.

I closed my eyes and pretended Plato was comforting me instead of Macavity. They are both similar in a lot of ways: strong, protective, sweet and evil at the same time, and—dare I say it?—charming. But Plato doesn't have a sick mind like Macavity does.

"See up there?" Macavity pointed. "It's the Hydra."

I squinted at the constellation he was pointing to. "It just looks like a squiggly line."

He laughed and pointed at another group of stars. "Over there's the Lynx."

I wrinkled my nose. "_That's_ a constellation?"

He gestured towards another group of stars. "There is the Camelopardalis."

"I don't see it."

"Here." He took my paw and outlined a shape in the sky with my pointer finger. "See it?"

I peered past my finger and saw a shape that looked like an abnormal triangle with legs sticking out of it. "Cam-el-op-ar-dalis," I pronounced slowly.

"That's right," he approved.

I dropped my arm and sighed. I just didn't have an observant eye like The Hidden Paw did.

"Victoria," Macavity looked down at me in his lap. "Look at me." He tilted my chin up to face him. "Promise you will always be with me?"

I avoided eye contact with him and replied shakily, "I promise."

He smoothed down my fur and watched me sleep angelically. "That's my queen."

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><p><strong>I hope you liked it! So basically, Macavity got kind of upset when Victoria said that she hated him, so he wanted to make her happy so that she'd like him. Did I just make it more confusing?<strong>

**Next chapter should be up in...maybe two days. I have absolutely NOTHING planned so don't be surprised if it's not up by Friday. **

**Review please! Thank you to all my reviewers so far!**

**Thanks for reading :)**


	18. Macavity's Favor

**A/N: Hi! Sorry I wasn't able to update sooner. The chapter was kind of un-exciting so I had to add something interesting to it at the end...something that not even I expected. I hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS. I also don't own Cat Morgan, who was a character in T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. He is described as a retired pirate and works at the company of Faber and Faber. And I apologize in advance for the pirate accent I attempted to give him. I (obviously) cannot add accents to my dialogue very well haha. Enjoy!**

**Grrrr...I forgot the disclaimers for my last two chapters again. Sorry to Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, and RUG.**

**DISCLAIMER for Chapter 16: I don't own CATS.**

**DISCLAIMER for Chapter 17: I still don't own CATS.**

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><p>When I woke up, a pile of dead pigeons had been positioned next to me. Judging by the sun's position, I concluded that it was around ten o'clock. I was alone on the rooftop, where I had accidentally fallen asleep under Macavity's care. After gorging on a couple pigeons, I bundled the rest of them up in my arms and left the roof. I jogged down the stairs and made my way to the Execution Room. Plato was still strapped down with his neck craned upwards, obviously sleeping. I threw a pigeon at him, and he stirred a bit. He blinked a few times before realizing that I had thrown the bird at him.<p>

"Hey Vicky," he greeted drowsily.

"Hi. Are you hungry?" I offered him a pigeon head.

"Think you can unbuckle me first?" he asked.

"Oh, right." I undid the buckles on his ankles and wrists and helped him up. He held out his paw, cueing me to drop a couple pigeons into it. He tore the meat out with his teeth and chewed on the tender fowl.

"Thanks," Plato said.

"I should be thanking you," I said, expressing gratitude. "Thanks for looking out for me, Plato."

His curled his lips into a sweet smile, but then he dropped his expression and replaced it with a look of disdain.

"Isn't that sweet?" a voice mocked from behind me. The Napoleon of Crime enclosed his arms around my waist, and I rolled my eyes discreetly. He pushed me to the wall and leaned in close.

"I want you to stay away from him. Do you hear me?" Macavity hissed. Plato crossed his arms and scowled at his father. I didn't respond, but Macavity took it as a "yes" anyway. He dragged me out of the room and into his office, where he made me stand and watch him fill out paperwork. After a few boring minutes had passed, Macavity suddenly spoke in a gentle voice.

"Victoria, my angel, may you come here for a second?"

I huffed and walked over to his desk.

"I need you to deliver this letter to my old friend Cat—or Captain, if you will—Morgan. He resides at Faber and Faber on Great Russell Street. Tell him it is from me." Macavity rolled up parchment and dropped it into my paw. "I'm counting on you, Victoria. Be back before nightfall."

I nodded hesitantly and strode to the door.

"And Victoria?" Macavity stopped me.

I bit my lip uneasily. "Yes?" I responded, my back facing him.

"I love you," he stated as if we were mates.

I sighed quietly and replied with what he wanted to hear: "Love you, too."

I slipped out of the room and to the exit, passing Adolph's cell on the way.

"Vicky!" he called out. I had been hoping that he wouldn't see me.

"I'm sorry, Adolph, but I can't talk to you," I said quickly.

"Oh, come on!" he scoffed. "I'm gonna be dead in an hour, and you won't even say goodbye?"

I kneeled down so I was at his eye level. "You are not going to die. Plato is not going to die. I won't let anybody die."

Adolph facepawed himself and shook his head rapidly. "Oh, Everlasting Cat, Vick! Why did you interfere? You've just caused more trouble, you know!"

I flicked my tail angrily in the air. "I did it for you!"

"Whatever," Adolph snorted. "What was the deal? What did you have to give Macavity to make him change his mind?"

My eyes began to water, so I turned away and stood up. "Me," I replied quietly and ran out of the building. I was met with a sudden gust of wind so strong it lifted my tail upwards a little. I breathed on my one free paw to keep it warm and headed off towards Great Russell Street. The sun's rays gradually warmed my fur, but not enough to keep me from shivering slightly. I unrolled the letter and gasped at Macavity's beautiful calligraphy. Just then, two cars whizzed by me one after another. Startled, I shrieked and jumped into the air, my fur standing on its end. The letter fell from my grasp and rolled into a sewer drain nearby.

"No!" I yelled, struggling to catch it before it tumbled down. I leaped and caught it just in time, my paws dangling at the edge of the drain. I let out my breath in relief. Everlasting Cat, if that message wasn't delivered, Macavity would kill me on the spot! I scrambled up onto my hind paws and ran the rest of the way to Faber and Faber, clutching the parchment to my chest. I weaved my way through the alleys and the poor cats that lived among them in order to arrive at my destination safely. Getting down on all fours, I sneaked behind the building and caught sight of a middle-aged dark brown- and black-striped cat scampering after a mouse. I cleared my throat and got his attention. He immediately raised his fists in a defensive position, making me back away slowly. He dropped his stance when he realized I meant no harm.

"Er, what're ye doin' 'ere, kittie?" he growled in a West Country accent. "Can't ye see I'm busy?"

"Are you Cat Morgan?" I squeaked.

"Aye, the one and only!" he replied proudly.

"I have a letter for you," I stated. "It is from Macavity, sir."

Cat Morgan held out his paw and motioned for me to come to him. "Bring 'er to me, lass."

I padded over to Cat Morgan nervously and held it out. He snatched it away and glared at me suspiciously. He scanned the letter with his eyes and laughed heartily. "Ar, 'e 'asn't changed a bit, that Macavity! Seems 'e 'as just wiped out another tribe o' landlubbers!" He crumpled up the parchment and carelessly threw it over his shoulder. "And who may me be payin' me thanks to?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, not knowing what to say. "Me name is—I-I mean, my name is Victoria, sir," I quickly corrected myself. His accent was beginning to rub off on me. "I am Macavity's…um…messenger." _Yep, that's the ticket!_

"Arr, a thousand thanks, Victoria. Tell me ol' chum Mac that me 'as received 'is message and congratulate 'im on 'is accomplishments."

"I will, sir. Thank you, sir!" I called over my shoulder as I ran off. The temperature had gone up, and I twirled around like a free kitten. It felt nice to get some fresh air after being in Macavity's stuffy warehouse for a few days at a time. I enjoyed the rush as I sprinted as fast as I could down the sidewalk, looking down at my hind paws the entire time. I was so happy that when I accidentally bumped into a black and white cat, I didn't drop my smile. I looked up to apologize, still grinning like a fool.

Happiness gone.

"You…" Alonzo started. I widened my eyes and tried to retreat, but Alonzo grabbed my ear and yanked me back.

"You're the lunatic that hit me!" he stated. I opened my mouth to explain, but he quickly interrupted me. "You work for Macavity, don't you? What are you doing here wandering the streets alone? Did Macavity send you on a mission?"

"Let me explain!" I screamed. After taking a few deep breaths, I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off again.

"You pollicle! I am under orders to kill any henchcat I come in contact with, so unless you can put up a fight, you're as good as dead!"

"I'm not a henchcat—I'm your friend!" I cried.

"Don't play tricks on me," he sneered. "Now close your eyes; it'll be over before you know it." He raised his paw triumphantly over my head, ready to bring it down with as much force as possible.

"Hey!" a voice called out. "Alonzo! I told you to patrol the perimeter of the tribe, not outside the boundaries!" Munkustrap rushed over to us and pushed Alonzo away.

"I'm sorry, kitten. Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked me kindly.

"I want you to remember me," I answered. He stroked his chin, and after a while, his eyes lit up in understanding.

"Wait…you are Victoria," he said slowly. I nodded rapidly and motioned for him to continue.

"You're the queen who works for Macavity!" he exclaimed, and my hopes diminished.

"Nonononononono! You have got it all wrong. You see…" I sighed. What was I supposed to tell them? Nothing I said would make them believe me, so I darted away from them. Alonzo growled and began to chase after me, but Munkustrap held him back.

"Stay!" he commanded. "She's trying to lead us right to Macavity's warehouse. Don't fall for her trick!" I rolled my eyes at how wrong he was and continued running towards the warehouse. I pulled at the steel door while panting heavily only to realize that Macavity hadn't given me the code to unlock the door. I pounded on the door with my fist until a cat unlocked it from the opposite side. I dashed inside and bumped right into a tall, ginger tom.

"You're late," The Napoleon of Crime commented.

I tried to catch my breath before answering while Macavity stood impatiently with his arms crossed.

"But…you said…to be back by nightfall," I finished quickly so that I could gasp for breath.

Macavity ignored my statement. "And I suppose you have a reason for being late?"

I took a deep breath to control my breathing. "Yes, but do you promise that you won't get mad?"

He sighed, exasperated. "Okay."

"Well…" I shifted my weight from one hind paw to the other nervously. "I sort of had a run-in with two Jellicles and—"

Macavity slammed by face against the wall, and I yowled in pain. I clutched my noise only to find that it was bleeding again.

"You promised not to get angry!" I reminded him.

"I don't keep promises, my dear," he spat out nastily, this time leaving me with my bloody nose. _If you won't help me heal, I know somebody who will._ I let go of my noise carefully, but the blood just gushed out even more. I quickly covered it again and jogged to the navy blue door that lead to the bedroom Plato shared with five other henchcats. Inside, Plato was honing his knife on a sharpening stone. There was only one other henchcat in the room—A silver maine coon with a short mane reading the local human newspaper on the bunk over Plato's bed.

Plato noticed my arrival and immediately dropped his knife and stone. "Oh my Everlasting Cat! There's blood all over you!" He rushed over to me and removed my paw from my nose, letting the blood flow out of my nostrils.

"Do you know how to stop the bleeding?" I asked.

"Yeah. Hold still." Plato pinched my soft pink nose as I stood stiffly and let him do all the work.

"You have to pinch it at a certain place," he instructed. "It'll stop after a while."

"I know. This is the second time Macavity caused this to happen." I sighed. Plato cursed his father for his doings and pinched harder at my fragile nose.

"Won't he be infuriated when he finds out you're here?" he asked, concerned.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, he gave me a bloody nose and walked away. How else was I going to stop the blood from running?"

He shrugged back and exhaled noisily.

"Yo, Plato, you wiped out that tribe real good," the silver tom praised Plato. "I just read an article in the paper saying that a whole bunch of cats in the neighborhood 'mysteriously disappeared'. Ha! You did good, Plato." He chuckled.

Plato rolled his eyes and replied, "Thanks," obviously not wanting to talk about it.

"You were on that mission?" I inquired, remembering Cat Morgan reading something about Macavity taking over another tribe from The Hidden Paw's letter to him.

"Actually, I was the _only _one on that mission," Plato responded. "They weren't the smartest cats. It took less than a day to murder them all." He ignored my look of astonishment and released my nose. I wiggled my nose and inhaled deeply, pleased with the results of Plato's treatment.

"Thanks!" I said cheerily.

"No problem, Vick." He tousled my headfur and resumed to sharpening his knife. I was turning the knob to the door when Macavity barged in and nearly slammed me against the wall.

"Gah!" I yelped inarticulately after being smooshed against the wall. Macavity paid no attention to me and instead turned to face Plato, who was glancing upward at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Hello, sir!" the maine coon greeted and saluted The Napoleon of Crime. Macavity saluted back, but Plato did not address his father formally.

"Yeah Dad?" Plato said, poking holes in his mattress with his newly sharpened knife.

"I came to congratulate you on a job well done," Macavity acknowledged his tomson. "Because of you, we now have control over that tribe of idiots."

"Riiiiiiiight," Plato responded. "Now, why are you really here?"

The yellow-eyed tom caught sight of me plastered against the wall and pulled me close to him. He brushed the dried bits of blood off my fur and glared at Plato before speaking to me.

"I thought you would come running here," Macavity said. "Since you obviously cannot take care of yourself, you need someone else to care for you." I scowled at him, but he changed the subject.

"When I went back to my office to complete my paperwork, a henchcat entered with a message for me," he began. "This particular henchcat said that a tribe of pugs five or six miles away from this building is planning an attack on us tomorrow, so they must be stopped and annihilated." He paused and looked into my eyes. "Are you following?"

I bobbled my head, and the ginger tom continued. "I am going to their tribe tonight, but I need someone to go with me, for they cannot be easily defeated."

"Ooh! Ooh! Can _I_ go, Macavity?" the silver henchcat asked, waving his paw furiously in the air.

Macavity gave him a stern look. "No. Victoria, how would you like to accompany me on this very important mission?"

I widened my eyes and gaped at him. "Me? Are you sure about that?"

Macavity smirked at my reaction. "Yes. This is important, Victoria. If you don't come, everybody in here will die—including you."

I glanced at Plato for any advice, but he was as shocked as I was. "And, uh, hypothetically speaking, if I said no…?"

He tightened his grip on my arm. "Then that would make me very, very mad. And we wouldn't want that, would we?" I shook my head. "Good. Then what do you say?"

I sighed quietly. "Yes, Macavity. I would be honored to accompany you on this mission."

"And?"

_And? Oh, Everlasting Cat, not again._ "I love you."

Macavity embraced me in his arms. "Love you, too, my angel." Over Macavity's shoulder, I was pretty sure I could see steam coming out of Plato's ears.

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><p><strong>Well, apparently, the next chapter is going to be the mission Macavity and Victoria are going to be going on, so it'll probably be long...probably. I'm not completely sure if I'll be able to update tomorrow (sorry if I don't). I'll type all day if I have to! Plus, I have exceeded 100 pages on my Microsoft Word document for this story, so I'm throwing a solo party. :)<strong>

**NB: Me from the future (I love visiting my old chapters :D haha). Bombastrap asked a very good question about the dog tribes and their different names, and after a little thought, this is how I organize everything: **

**Pugs, Pekes, Poms, Poodles, Chihuahuas, Alstatians, Affenpinschers, and every other breed of dog each have their own tribe. And then the POLLICLES are the worst of the kind. The most vicious of dogs are put together in one tribe to make the Pollicles, and is the enemy of pretty much every feline and canine tribe out there. Yep :)**

**Thanks so much for reading! Review, please :D**


	19. A Mission with Mac

**A/N: Ok, so, once again, this chapter is weird. It's mostly just Macavity and Victoria...and a surprise guest...or **_**guests**_**...mwahahaha. Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats the musical. HA I DIDN'T FORGET!**

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><p>Plato finally mustered up the courage to interject.<p>

"Dad, are you insane? She could get killed on that mission!" I flinched at the thought of that and pulled away from Macavity's arms.

Macavity snickered and began to escort me out of the room, but I ran to Plato and gave him a quick hug first. The Monster of Depravity took hold of my headfur and pulled me along with him down the hallway and back outside. The sun was setting, casting an orange glow on the buildings far away. Macavity's shadow was long—it kind of intimidated me. My own was puny compared to his.

The Mystery Cat put on a serious facial expression and spoke to me like I was one of his henchcats. "Do you know how to fight in hand-to-hand combat?"

"Nope."

"Do you know how to throw a knife?"

"Nope."

"Do you know how to fire an arrow or pistol?"

"Nope."

Macavity facepawed himself. It seemed as if everyone was doing that nowadays when they were having a conversation with me.

"Okay, why don't you tell me things that you _can_ do," he said.

I pondered this for a bit. "Well…Munku—I mean, and old friend of mine taught me how to gag a cat until they are unconscious. Is that helpful?"

Macavity grinned sinisterly. "It's perfect. Now we need a plan."

"Like what? Where is this place even located?" I questioned.

"Not far from here—about five miles or so. They occupy an entire ghost town. Claiming their territory as mine will be a substantial victory!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," I stopped him. "An _entire_ ghost town? And you really believe that just us two can wipe them _all_ out?"

"There aren't many, and the town is small. And here is the catch: These pugs have terrible eyesight."

I tried to catch on to what he was suggesting. "Okaaaaay…so what do we do? Sneak up on them?"

He laughed at my ignorance. "You have to be more creative than that."

I thought for a moment before trying again. "We turn off all the lights?"

Macavity's grin widened. "Bingo." _Really? I was just kidding. _"They depend on the streetlamps to see at night, so if we turn them all off..."

"Then they can't see," I finished. "But how are we supposed to shut off all the lights?"

Macavity cackled again, making my ears twitch. "Ah, my angel, have you forgotten once again about the powers I possess? Watch." He merely pointed at the streetlamp nearest to us, and it sparked a bit before dying.

"Impressive," I said, rolling my eyes.

He chuckled and then continued with the plan. "Once I kill the lights, they will practically be blind. We cats can easily see in the dark, so I want you to knock them out, and then I'll finish them off. Are we clear?"

"Clear," I replied. I began to run off, but Macavity yanked me back to him.

"Wait!" he yelled. "There may not be many of them, but these pugs are brutal fighters. I want you to be careful, okay?"

"Tell me again why you wanted me to accompany you?" I queried.

Macavity leaned in close and wore a hard expression on his face. "I'm serious, Victoria. You must listen to my every command and follow them exactly. Understand? If you fail to comply, those pugs will tear you to shreds. There is about a seventy-five percent chance you will die, Victoria. Just follow my lead."

I gaped at him for a few seconds. "Seriously, _why_ are you bringing me with you?"

Macavity tugged on my arm and dragged me along as he ran. "Come. We need to be there in less than an hour. It is already five o'clock." I reluctantly ran with him on the sidewalk. Three cars whooshed by me like a bullet, causing me to whimper and tremble like a little kitten.

Macavity noticed my arm was trembling in his paw. "Scared?" he asked. I bobbed my head up and down rapidly. He gathered me in his arms and murmured promises I knew he wouldn't keep.

"Nothing to worry about, my angel," he crooned. "I won't let them hurt you."Two more cars sped by me, and I yelped and jerked backwards.

"Don't be so sensitive," he rebuked. "You will be seeing worse things once we arrive at the tribe."

I gulped and continued to run with him. The sky seemed to have an interesting shade of red to it, though the sun could no longer be seen. I looked down from the sky to see Macavity was way ahead of me.

"Macavity, wait!" I hollered after him, beginning to pant once again. Once I caught up to him, he covered my mouth with his paw and looked around. We stood facing one lone road that led to a dead end with small two-story businesses on either side of it. Streetlamps lined the road at twenty feet intervals. At the end of the road was a butcher shop with a large clock at the top that read 5:55. Macavity raised his paws in the air and flicked his fingers twice, making all the lights die out. Immediately, dogs began howling and darted from one building to another, the desolate street now populated by terrified pugs. Macavity snickered as they panicked and ran into each other. He shot out his hand and pointed at a large pug coming our way. A bolt of electricity blasted from his finger and instantly killed the dog.

"Go ahead," the Napoleon of Crime whispered to me. "I got your back."

The dogs were being quite troublesome, for I could not grab a hold on their necks with all their panicking. I manage to put a few to sleep while Macavity killed the dogs coming towards me from behind.

"You're on your own, now," Macavity muttered and raced after a few pugs trying to hide in an abandoned bank.

"Wait, no! Macavity!" I called after him, but he was too busy slaying the pugs. I grumbled under my breath and continued to chase, catch, and gag more dogs by myself. I wiped the sweat from my forehead once I had made about fifteen pugs unconscious. I sat on the steps leading to the butcher shop when the lamplight to my left began to flicker. About ten pugs nearby scampered to the source of the light, where they could take a good look at their surroundings.

That is when they caught sight of me.

I scuttled backwards and ran up the steps, but the dogs were not too far behind. They pounced on me and barked threateningly. I screamed Macavity's name as one of them got hold of a bloody butcher knife on the counter and raised it over my body. _Where are you, Macavity?_

Suddenly, a huge _zap!_ was heard, and all ten dogs dropped dead. The butcher knife clanged as it fell to the floor just a few inches away from me. Macavity picked me up from the ground and held me close.

"Are you okay?" he asked, checking to make sure they hadn't injured me.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He dragged me along to the exit, but about five more pugs blocked our way.

"Hand me the knife, Victoria," Macavity commanded.

It didn't feel right to kill all these dogs. "But—"

"Just do it!" he shouted. I quickly scurried to the heavy-duty knife and handed it to Macavity. _Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash_—just like that, they were dead. They each gave one last howl before taking their last breaths. The ginger tom tossed the knife behind him and ran out the exit with me following behind. Macavity had killed quite a few while I was busy putting them to sleep. Some just had slits in their necks while others were viciously sliced up. One dog yowled from a porch, and the yellow-eyed tom shot a bolt of lightning directly at its heart. The last pug was now dead.

Macavity draped his arm around me and kissed my forehead. "You did well, my angel. I couldn't be more proud." I felt awful for having to help him assassinate the pugs, but I didn't really have another choice. Either they died, or I got tortured. Macavity and I walked four miles back without a word. I was too caught up with my own guilt to even flinch when cars raced by us. I needed to get it off my chest—I didn't care who I had to talk to so that it could be done. At the last mile, I finally decided to let out my thoughts and feelings.

"Macavity—"

"You are guilty for what you have done?" he finished for me.

I huffed and crossed my arms. "Must you always read my mind?"

"Victoria, if we hadn't killed them, they would have killed us. We saved lives, Victoria."

"But we ended some, too."

Macavity sighed, obviously frustrated with my behavior. "I really didn't want to say this, but if it makes you shut up, I will—Plato would have been murdered if we didn't wipe them out. Do you feel better now?"

I eyed him carefully, but I could see no emotion in his bronze-yellow eyes. "Do you hate your tomson?" I asked.

"He's…he's…Plato is…" Macavity mumbled. I think we were both interested as to what the answer to that question would be. "Sometimes…he just…doesn't…" he trailed off. "He's a good henchcat but a terrible tomson."

I stared at him, mouth agape. "How dare you say that! The reason you believe he is a terrible tomson is because you raised him that way! And why did you kill his brother, your other tomson?" I inquired.

"Ah, yes, Plato's brother." He thought back to the days when he was alive. "I forget his name and age—not that it matters anymore—but I remember that he refused to work for me. What else was I supposed to do with him? The day I told my tomsons that they would start to work for me—Plato was nine, I believe—he talked back and said to my face that he wouldn't become my henchcat. I killed him on the spot with Plato as a witness. Plato had already agreed to work for me, and he was excited about it as well. The tom was born to be a killer, and that is what I am proud of. But the way he has been acting…ever since you were captured…You found his soft side, and you are distracting him from his duties. That is just another reason why I want you away from him."

I kicked the pebbles in front of me and watched them skid into the storm drains. "I don't know what to say, Macavity."

"Say nothing, my dear. Just keep walking."

I did as I was told, but mostly because there was nothing left to say. He was just so…evil, and yet so charming. It depended on the mood he was in.

After what seemed like an eternity, we finally reached the front door to his warehouse. Macavity typed in the code and pushed me inside.

"Where do I sleep tonight?" I asked while trying to hold back a yawn.

He laughed and ushered me to my old bedroom. I immediately jumped on my bed and reclined on my back.

"Yes! I can't believe I missed this place!" I giggled. Macavity laughed at my kittenish attitude and tucked me in.

"I love you," he whispered into my ear.

I swallowed hard before replying, "Love you, too." He left me in the darkness of the room, and I quickly went to sleep.

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><p><strong>Who liked the MacavityVictoria bonding time? xD**

**Questions? Comments? Critique? REVIEW please! Next chapter may not be up until Friday...sorry! I'll try to make it extra interesting.**

**Thanks for reading!**


	20. It Feels Like the End

**A/N: Hi! Sorry for the wait. As you can see, this chapter is my longest one so far! And there is a reason for that. I had some minor writer's block, so most of this chapter is kind of...weird...again...and random. Hopefully the ending will surprise you. Oh, and this is not really this last chapter! Nonono! Yeah, I know the title of this chapter kind of makes it seem like it is the end...but it's not! Sorry if this chapter is rushed! Plus, there's some awkwardness in this chapter, and who doesn't love reading about awkward cats? xD I hope you like this! **

***Me from the future*:**

**To Bombastrap: Yes :O And that will become a huuuge problem in the future ;)**

**To wonderwumbojellicle and The Obsessed Oddity: Thank you very much for your kind reviews!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS, just Adolph :)**

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><p>When I woke up, I bounded out of bed, feeling quite rejuvenated. I left the room and was about to turn the corner of a hall when I saw Macavity and Plato arguing in the middle of the hallway.<p>

"If I see you in her room again, I will do away with you the same way I did with your pathetic brother," Macavity threatened his tomson.

Plato stood his ground with his arms crossed. "I wanted to make sure she was okay after that grueling mission you sent her to do!"

Macavity slapped his tomson, but Plato didn't budge. They both spotted me peering around the corner and looked at each other nervously. Macavity motioned for me to come toward him with his paw, and I padded in their direction.

"What's going on?" I asked ever-so-innocently. The father and tomson just stared each other down and didn't bother answering me.

"What are you arguing about?" I questioned them. Plato shifted his weight from one leg to the other restlessly.

Macavity finally spoke up and wrapped his arm around my waist. "Nothing, my angel. Plato and I were just having a discussion." He kissed my left temple softly, and Plato bore his toffee-brown eyes into his father.

"Dad?" Plato said, trying to get his father's attention. "I'm still here. What do you want me to do?"

Macavity directed his attention to Plato and began to treat him like a henchcat rather than a tomson. "I have no missions for you today. I expect you to train, however, for the entire day. Dismissed."

Plato gave his father a lousy salute and walked off, purposely brushing past me on the way.

"You are making him train for twelve hours?" I asked Macavity.

The Napoleon of Crime snickered. "It's nothing unusual. Sometimes he does more." I stared at him in astonishment.

I decided to change the subject. "May I see Adolph?" I asked sweetly.

Macavity ignored the adorable face I was making. "No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"…Please?"

He clenched his fists, aggravated. "Alright! But I'm not leaving you two alone."

I dashed off at once, excited to be able to see my friend again. I stopped at his cell, but instead of Adolph inside, there was a dark-colored Abyssinian queen. The queen trembled and reached a paw out through the bars to me.

"Um, Macavity." I pointed at the queen. "What is she doing here?" I took her paw in mine and noticed that there were scars all over her arm. The Monster of Depravity cruelly kicked the bars of her cell, making the Abyssinian scuttle backwards.

"Never mind her," he spat out. "Do you want to see your friend or not?"

"I…guess so," I replied hesitantly, never taking my eyes off the injured prisoner. I couldn't see her face in the darkness, though something seemed familiar about her. I managed to finally turn away and darted to the dead end of a particular hallway while Macavity followed close behind me. I barged into the room and saw Adolph dangling and making his way across the ceiling with his daggers. "Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this," I said, giggling. Macavity came through the doorway and immediately facepawed himself. "Adolph, you are making holes in the ceiling!"

Adolph looked up at his paws, where he was holding onto the daggers. "Oh…yeah. Sorry, Boss." He flipped down and stuck the landing effortlessly. "Here 'ya go, Boss," he said, throwing the daggers straight at Macavity, who caught them both in just one paw.

Macavity raised an eyebrow at his henchcat. "How did you get a hold of these?"

"Hehehehe…Vicky, how's it going?" he said quickly to avoid getting into any trouble.

"I'm fine, Adolph. How are you?" I responded politely.

There was a moment of silence before Adolph blurted out, "Macavity, we can't say anything while you're here. Can you leave?"

Macavity stomped up to his face. "Listen, you filthy pollicle. I don't want you anywhere near my Victoria. You are lucky I let her even say a word to you!"

I sat on a bottom bunk and patted the space next to me. "Sit," I said. He obeyed, and we both saw a glimpse of a jealous Macavity.

"What have you been doing lately?" I conversed.

"Nothing much. I've mostly just been training." He twiddled with his thumbs.

I raised my eyebrows and tried to start a conversation. "How long do you train?"

"Eight hours, more or less." He glanced at Macavity, who was leaning against a wall and watching us intently.

"Don't you get tired?" I asked him thoughtfully.

"Nah, I'm used to it." Adolph picked at his fingernails and didn't say a word. I looked at Macavity and smiled like a kitten, and he just couldn't resist smiling back. Adolph played a solo version of thumb war, feeling uncomfortable with his boss watching us. In an attempt to break the awkward silence, I stuck out my thumb and said, "I'll challenge you."

He grinned and positioned his paw around my fingers. "You're on."

"Aaaaaand…Go!" I immediately crushed his thumb under mine, but he wiggled it out of my grasp and dramatically swayed from side to side to squash my thumb down. He was rocking around so much that we toppled to the floor. Rolling around, we continued to try to defeat one another at our game. Eventually, I pushed down on his thumb with all my might and held it for three seconds.

"Looks like you need more training, Adolph," Macavity tsked.

Adolph saluted the ginger tom. "Yes, sir!"

I grabbed his arm and jumped up and down excitedly. "Can I come with you?"

"No, Victoria. That's enough foolishness for one day," Macavity interjected.

"But Macavity—"

"Fine!" he interrupted again. "You want to train? I'll show you how they train!" With a snap of his fingers, Macavity and I were teleported to what seemed to be the largest room in the entire building. Toms were exercising everywhere—a few were having a push-up contest in the corner, some aimed knives and arrows at dartboards, and others were tumbling about like crazy. Plato was furiously pushing on a blocking sled while another tom was shoving it from the opposite side. They tried to outdo each other by pushing it all the way to one side of the room. Plato gave a grunt and rammed it with all his might, causing the sled to fall over and crush the other tom underneath it. He helped the henchcat up, but the grey tom scampered away to a station where you must climb a rope all the way to the ceiling (which was higher than the other rooms). Macavity placed a heavy paw on my shoulder and spun me around. "Go into a pawstand," he ordered. "Now!"

I obeyed and lunged myself onto my paws and balanced my body in the air. Macavity held my legs up straight, keeping me from losing my balance.

"Good. Now stay."

Upside-down, I saw Plato do a round-off, back pawspring, and layout combo. But for some reason, his body looked redder than usual. In fact, every henchcat seemed to turn a darker color all of a sudden.

"Macavity, let me down!" I screamed up at him with the energy I had left. My arms were beginning to shake in pain, but that wasn't what I was mainly concerned about.

"You wanted to come here, so I will show you what these henchcats do daily." Macavity didn't let go of my hind paws, and tears began to drip down from my eyes.

"The blood is rushing to my head! Put me down, put me down!" I was absolutely terrified as to what would happen to me. I had heard stories about getting blood clots in the brain from being upside-down too long, and I did not want that to happen to me, especially not at such a young age.

"I have henchcats in this room that can stay in this position for hours, and you are not able to stay for more than a minute?" Macavity shook his head in disappointment. "You obviously have a lot to learn." He finally dropped me, and, when I stood up, I stumbled backwards and collapsed into his arms. He pushed me forward again, and I held my throbbing head in my paw.

"Get down," he demanded before I had even recovered. He pushed me to the ground and kicked my front paws away from each other.

"Get into a push-up position," he commanded, and I unwillingly balanced myself on all fours.

"Do twenty," he instructed. "Go."

I secretly scowled at him and did as I was told to do. My arms were already sore from the pawstand, and I was still feeling light-headed. Once I reached twenty, I began to put my knee back on the ground until Macavity kicked it back up.

"I didn't say you were done," he sneered. "Cezar!"

A brown and grey Bulgarian cat shooting arrows at the opposite wall turned to Macavity. "Yeah Mac?"

The Napoleon of Crime gestured towards me with his head, and the henchcat nodded before sitting on my back.

It nearly knocked the wind out of me. "Oh, Everlasting Cat!"

"Twenty more," Macavity ordered. I slowly went down to do one, but I couldn't get back up. My arms gave out, and I fell to the floor with a thud.

Macavity sighed, took the bow and arrows from Cezar, and handed them to me. "Try these," the Hidden Paw suggested. I gingerly took them in my paws and tried to hold it correctly.

"You need to keep your fingers under the arrowhead," he told me.

"But what if I let go and the arrow digs into my skin?" I asked, worried.

He laughed at my stupidity. "That's not going to happen. Now, pull back and let go."

"Pull back and let go," I repeated. I took a deep breath and released the arrow.

It plummeted to the floor just inches away from me.

I handed the bow back to Macavity and sighed. "I'm sorry, Macavity. I didn't think these training sessions would be so difficult since Plato can go through them for half the day without breaking a sweat."

He took a step closer to me and replaced his cold expression with a kinder one. "I believe you now see the difficulties of being a henchcat, no?"

I nodded solemnly. And saw a glimpse of Plato throwing a smaller henchcat over his shoulder.

"Plato has been working hard," Macavity explained. "And Adolph has been as well. I don't need you distracting them from doing their jobs and wasting all their hard work. Let it go, Victoria. Plato doesn't need you, and you don't need him. He is no longer a part of your life."

I turned my back to him, partly because I was mad and partly because I didn't want him to see the tears welling up in my eyes. "You don't know what you are saying. Plato _is_ my life, since you took away everything else that ever belonged to me."

Macavity placed a knife under my throat out of nowhere. "What was that?" he hissed.

I swallowed hard and answered him. "I'm done with you, Macavity. There is nothing worse you can do to me than force me to love you."

Plato caught sight of us at last. "Dad?" he hollered. He saw the knife at my neck and began to charge towards his father but stopped when he realized that Macavity might not hold back this time.

"You take one step further and she drops dead," Macavity warned.

"Macavity, you can't do this," I told him.

"I warned you," he snapped back. "I gave you chances and now you have crossed the line." The yellow-eyed tom whistled with two fingers and in came Sulvar and Artemis holding the Abyssinian queen I saw in Adolph's old cell, only now I could clearly see her face in the light.

"Don't hurt Exotica!" I screamed. "She didn't do anything to you!"

Macavity put more pressure on my throat, but not enough to draw blood. "Oh, but she did. I caught this lovely queen trespassing on my grounds," Macavity explained. "Besides, why would you care if she died? She doesn't even know who you are. Cezar?"

The Bulgarian henchcat lifted his bow and arrow and aimed it at her heart. Exotica cried out words we could not make out because of her heavy French accent. The henchcat released his arrow, and her wailing stopped. Tears uncontrollably rolled down my cheeks when I saw the arrow protrude from her heart. Sulvar and Artemis merely tossed her to the side, where she began to drown in her own blood while I drowned in my own tears.

"Everlasting Cat…why did you do that?" Plato yelled at his father. Macavity dropped me and turned to his tomson.

"Stay out of this, Plato. Concentrate on your duties."

I crawled away and tried to run out the door, but Cezar drew another arrow, positioned it on the string, and aimed it at my forehead. I froze on the spot.

"Let her go."

Macavity stepped up to Plato. "When have you started caring about queens so much? As far as I know, every queen you have met you tossed to the side like they were nothing. What makes you so interested in Victoria? She's mine and you know it. You knew that ever since I brought her here."

Plato gritted his teeth angrily and swung his arm at his father, making contact with the side of his head. The ginger tom thrust his knife at Plato's chest, and the tomson caught it in his paw and flipped the larger tom over his shoulder. Sometime during the tussle, Macavity shouted out, "Kill her!" Plato clamped his paw over the ginger tom's mouth, but he was too late.

I acted fast—I dived out of the way before the arrow could hit me. Unfortunately, two toms caught me as I fell and pinned me to the ground. Plato kicked his father in the chin, but the yellow-eyed tom managed to scratch his arm first. The smaller of the toms didn't give up, though—he gave Macavity a few more blows to his face before the carroty tom wrapped his arm around his tomson's neck. I knew that with one snap of his neck, Plato would be dead. I screeched and wailed, but that just raised Macavity's temper. He jutted his chin out at me and said to his henchcats, "Make her suffer. I don't care how—just do it! And I'll make Plato here watch." He smiled sinisterly.

"Don't touch her!" Plato hollered at them, but the two henchcats just grinned evilly and ignored him. Just as they were about to throw the first punch, Adolph came scurrying into the room. It took him a moment to figure out what was going on, judging by the way he looked back and forth between Macavity and me with a confused face. His mind didn't work fast enough, and by that time, a henchcat had shoved him against a wall with a knife at his heart.

I took a moment to look at the scene—two henchcats about to beat me to a pulp, Adolph struggling under a huge tom's grasp, Exotica's limp, lifeless body in the corner, henchcats observing the scene from as far away as possible, and Macavity's arm under Plato's neck, ready to break it with one swift move if I cry out again. It was three against forty. It seemed as if we had already surrendered, but I gave one more stab at changing Macavity's mind.

"M-Macavity…" I trailed off, trembling too much to even be able to speak. "Can I…t-talk to you? Please?" I begged.

The grayish-black henchcat looming over me punched my stomach, causing me to double over in pain. Macavity groaned at how weak I was, but snapped his fingers nonetheless. Now alone in a candlelit room, the Hidden Paw picked me up from the ground and rammed me into a wall. A quick, sharp, stinging pain was felt in my left cheek, and I fell sideways to the ground.

"I can't do this anymore, Macavity!" I bawled, comforting the cheek he had slapped with his paw. "I have suffered enough!"

He bent down next to me and whispered in my ear, "No, my dear. You haven't suffered _at all_." He rolled me over and repeatedly slammed the back of my head against the ground. I gave out a short wail each time my head thumped against the floor, and I closed my eyes and tried to focus my mind on other things. _Think about the Jellicles. Think about the Jellicle Ball. Think about Plato and Adolph—they care about you._

Macavity grunted and flipped me over in the air. I landed with a thud on the floor, my entire body sore. He slammed me down over and over, harder and harder, but the only thing I could feel was my stomach dropping while being airborne. I didn't think about the pain, or Macavity, or even the possibility that I would not live to see the next day. I thought positive thoughts to keep me optimistic. I thought about the places Plato and I would go once we got out of Macavity's clutches. I thought about the hilarious jokes Adolph would crack once we were away from this building.

Macavity noticed that I wasn't crying out anymore, and he flipped me one more time before pausing and staring straight into my eyes.

"You are thinking about him, aren't you?" he said as he grinded his teeth. I was only able to let out a small squeak before he kicked the side of my head and nearly screamed, "Stop thinking about him!" I tried to get up and go as far away from him as possible, but my body wobbled and I crumpled to the ground again. Tears clumped my eyelashes together, causing them to droop in front of my eyes and block my vision. Surprisingly, Macavity pulled me up and wrapped his arms around me tightly. My breathing quickened as he rubbed my back relaxingly.

"I don't want to hurt you," the carroty tom admitted. "But sometimes, you leave me with no other choice.

"Y-y-you are confusing m-me," I stuttered while continually sniveling.

"Victoria, my angel, just because I am mad at you doesn't mean I have stopped loving you." He suddenly dug his claws into my back, and I struggled to wrench away from him.

"Y-y-you're h-hurting me!" I stammered loudly. I arched my back in an uncomfortable way to twist myself away from the yellow-eyed beast.

"Good," he spat out nastily.

I held in my breath as he made the indents in my back deeper and deeper into my skin. The deeper he went, the less I could feel it.

"S-Stop! Stop!" I screamed, leaning so far back now that I lost my balance and toppled to the floor. With one simple whistle, Macavity ordered two henchcats to bring in another prisoner into the room. My eyes boggled when two tabby henchcats brought in a sand-colored tom thrashing around like mad. Admetus yowled when one henchcat swiped his face with his claws.

"You _kitnapped_ Admetus?" I screeched.

"On the contrary—he attempted to kidnap Exotica from me," Macavity remarked. "Of course, that proved unsuccessful, and his plan backfired. Say your goodbyes to him."

Before I could protest, Macavity held his paws out in front of him at Admetus, who suddenly became absorbed by the ginger tom's powers. Soon, Admetus seemed to stop breathing; his chest was rising but never falling. All of a sudden, the air between Macavity and Admetus looked blurred, and so did Admetus' chest. The Napoleon of Crime sucked out Admetus' breath, and the Jellicle collapsed on the floor with his eyes glazed over.

"Admetus!" I called out. "Answer me!"

Macavity cackled maniacally and turned to me. "He won't be answering you, my dear."

"What did you do to him?" I asked angrily.

Macavity laughed again. "I merely sucked his soul out."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. My face had just dried from my previous tears, and now they would be soaked again. I speedily crawled over to my friend, but the Monster of Depravity grabbed my hind paws and hauled me backwards. My claws scraped the floor as I was being dragged back, leaving behind jagged, silver lines on the flooring. I pounded my fists on the floor and hissed wildly.

"Two Jellicles…You killed two Jellicles in one day…I can't believe you," I muttered.

The ginger cat snickered heartlessly. "Get over it."

I screamed at him for no particular reason. I just screamed—one long, ear-piercing squeal. Macavity didn't even flinch. Instead, he looked at me straight in the face, his eyes piercing into my skin. There was no guilt in his eyes, nor was there any pity for me.

"Screaming won't help you," he scoffed. "What's done is done. This is your new life. This is your new home. This is where you belong—with me."

I shook my head vigorously from side to side as if it would shake the nightmare out of my head. "Why don't you just get rid of me?" I shouted, even surprising myself a bit. Living here was torture when Macavity was the only person I could talk to. Why not just escape all this pain and misery?

Macavity gently took my paw and pulled me up to my hind feet. "Because I don't want to."

I sobbed into his shoulder, thinking about my life in the past month. It all seemed too horrible to believe. It all seemed like a nightmare, and the only way to get out of it was by escaping this dreadful life I am living.

"Somebody, help me," I whispered to no one in particular. "Someone, put me out of my misery."

Macavity picked me up and ambled to my bedroom. I was too depressed to fight back. I guess I could use some sleep, though. My head felt like it was about to burst with all the thoughts racing through my mind. _Maybe I'm going mad_, I thought. _Maybe I am totally insane after all._

Macavity placed me delicately on my bed and pulled the sheets over me.

"Plato…Adolph…where are they?" I asked, my panic rising.

"Shhh," Macavity calmed me. "If it makes you happy, I will make sure they are okay." He silently slipped out of the room, and, almost immediately, I fell asleep.

_The Hidden Paw tosses me into an empty room like I am a piece of garbage. He shuts the door and leaves me alone. I wrap my arms around my knees and rock back and forth, disturbed by the eerie silence. Suddenly, all four walls surrounding me begin to compress. I push against them with all my might, but it is useless. I try to open the door, but the doorknob disappears right when I reach it. The walls squeeze me until I am the center of a sandwich. I can hear something crunching—my bones breaking. I can feel my skull crack under the pressure. All my toes are bent backwards awkwardly, and now my ankle is being twisted, too. My nose is being crushed, and next is my chin. A wall forces itself against my forehead while the other presses against the back of my head. The pressure builds and builds, and then my head—_

I jolted up and screamed. I felt my forehead, which was dripping with sweat. My paws were shaking wildly, and my entire body felt like it had been pulverized by a huge mallet. Plato, having heard my shrill cry, burst into the room and embraced me in his arms tightly.

"What happened? What happened? Are you alright?" he questioned.

"I'mfiePlato," I mumbled, jumbling my words together.

"What did you say?"

"IsayI'mfie. Ijushahanightmare…" My eyes closed inadvertently for a second, and I forced them open again. They fluttered for a little while, and then my body fell limp against Plato's.

* * *

><p><strong>Hehe surprise ending? I am quite shocked myself that I typed that. All shall be explained in the next chapter...which will hopefully be posted tomorrow. It might be short, so sorry in advance if it is. I haven't typed a word of it yet so I am really not sure how long it will be or when I will be able to post it. I vaguely know what will happen...but I have an idea...a very strange idea...<strong>

**And if you were confused as to what Victoria was saying in the end, it was this:**

**"I'm fine, Plato."**

**"I say (said) I'm fine. I just had a nightmare..."**

**Sorry if that was confusing. Obviously, there is something wrong with her speech...more will be explained in the next chapter.**

**What do you think? Please review! Questions, comments, and critique are very, very welcome!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	21. Ill

**A/N: Hey hey hey! Another weird chapter for you all. So we stopped at when Victoria randomly went unconscious...now you will know why. As a warning: There are some thoughts of suicide. I hope you like this chapter!**

**To wonderwumbojellicle and The Obsessed Oddity: Yes, Macavity is a very unpredictable tom :D haha. It's a part of his character that I love writing about. It's hard to tell if he's legit being "nice" or not when he's acting kind.**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS. It belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, and RUG. I DO own my OCs ;D**

* * *

><p>"Vicky? Vick, are you okay? Can you hear me?" Plato jiggled my body, and I managed to lift my sagging eyelids.<p>

"I'mokay," I slurred. "Donworryboume…" I blacked out for a second again, but I quickly regained consciousness.

The seventeen-year old tom shook my shoulders again. "Why are you talking like that?"

"No," I blurted out randomly.

Plato raised his eyebrows at me in bewilderment. "No what?"

I didn't know why, but I felt like my blood was boiling and steam was shooting out of my ears. "I said no!" I shouted, pushing him away and curling myself into a tiny ball. Just then, Macavity barged into the room and pushed the rust-colored tom aside.

"Victoria?" Macavity kneeled down and took my paw in his. "Victoria, my angel, are you feeling well?"

_Slap him, slap him_, a voice echoed inside my head. Normally I would think it was Macavity messing with my mind, but this time, it wasn't the Mystery Cat's voice—it was my own. I obeyed my inner conscience and smacked the ginger tom's face with my paw. Both Macavity and Plato were stunned at my bold move.

_Go to the roof_. Before they could say or do anything else, I jumped out of bed and darted to the flat rooftop. Plato and Macavity followed close behind, trying to catch up to me. _Go to the roof, go to the roof_. My back paws carried me up the steps in frenzy, furiously thumping against the floor as I wondered about what awaited me on the roof. I turned the knob to the door on the left of the last hallway and stepped outside. The sky was cloudy, blocking all the stars. I pouted like a little kitten, because I thought there would be some magnificent meteor shower or shooting stars. I stopped at the center of the roof and stared out into the distance. The two toms chasing after me came to a halt as well.

_Keep walking_. I did as I was told and walked closer to the edge. I could hear Macavity and Plato's footsteps as they cautiously stepped towards me.

_Keep going_. I approached the edge of the three-story building, and the father and tomson anxiously followed.

_Jump_.

I did.

Plato caught me.

Plato held me in his arms.

Plato brushed the fur away from my eyes.

Plato was close to crying.

But I punched him in the jaw anyway.

Macavity observed my bizarre behavior and pinned me down.

"No, no, no, no, no!" I screamed, struggling against him.

"Dad, why would she…" Plato stopped and turned away because tears were welling up in his eyes.

Macavity snickered for some odd reason. "Looks like Little Miss Victoria here has a mental illness."

Plato looked back and forth between his father and me squirming around under his father's grip. "A...mental illness?" His placed his paw lightly on my cheek, but the voice inside my head was telling me that he was not safe to be around.

"Don't touch me!" I yelled at him.

"Please be calm," Plato begged. He was trying so hard to not let those tears slip out.

"Don't hurt me!" I shrieked.

"I'm not going to hurt you!"

"Yes you are!" The louder my voice was, the more I was able to articulate.

Plato ultimately removed his paw from my cheek and turned to his father, who was still pinning me in place. "What's the illness?"

Macavity pressed me down harder when I began to kick my back paws at him. "I have to say, I am quite surprised that Victoria has Schizophrenia."

I tried to bite Plato's arm as he smoothed my headfur down. "This can't be happening…"

Macavity turned his head to face his tomson and narrowed his eyes at him. "Are you crying?"

The auburn tom looked away. "No…I just don't understand why she would want to end her life." He looked back at his father, his eyes widening. "You…"

"You dare accuse me of this?" Macavity snarled.

"Yes, I do!"

I blocked out the argument that was erupting when I heard the voice creep into my mind once more.

_Get out of there_, it commanded. _It is not safe. Nobody can be trusted._

I wailed and furiously kicked my legs at Macavity to get him off of me. I was met with a slap and a punch to the gut.

"Get off of her!" Plato yelled, pushing Macavity away. He bundled me up in his arms and rocked me back and forth. Usually I wouldn't have resisted, but my mind had already convinced me that Plato was not a friend. I scratched at his torso weakly and tried to push him away.

"She can't be helped now," Macavity remarked pessimistically.

Plato glared at the ginger tom. "Just go downstairs. Haven't you caused her enough pain?"

For once the two toms agreed on something, and Macavity kissed my forehead lightly before wearing a hard expression on his face.

"Don't try anything while I'm gone, Plato," the yellow-eyed cat warned.

"Like what?" Plato snorted.

Macavity turned to leave and called over his shoulder, "Just remember that she's mine." And with that, he exited the roof without a second glance backwards.

I continued to scratch Plato, but he never let go. His lips parted and he began to speak words that didn't seem to match the movements of his mouth. He was saying things like "I'm going to hurt you" and "I'm going to kill you." I whimpered softly and tried to talk to him. "Donhurme…donhurme…"

"I'm not going to hurt you," Plato murmured back. "I will never hurt you again."

I lost my temper and screamed with all my might, "I don't believe you! I don't believe you! It told me not to believe you!"

Plato blinked a few times in bewilderment. "What told you?"

I wriggled and fidgeted in his arms uncomfortably. "I told myself. Now let me go!" I yanked on Plato's headfur, making him chuckle. He hummed what was supposed to be a lullaby but sounded like funeral music to me. Nevertheless, my eyelids sagged, and I fell asleep in Plato's arms.

_I scurry through the cave only to get caught in more spider webs. I trip over a rock jutting out and fall to the ground. A weird, tingling feeling crawls up my legs and my spine. It sniffs my face before biting its teeth into my flesh. Macavity's signature laugh booms out of nowhere and echoes in the cave. The giant rats sink their nails into my skin and begin to chew. More and more crawl up my legs to devour me. They nibble at my toes and fingers until they are just stubs at the end of my paws. They multiply over and over again, covering every inch of my body. They scurry to my face and rip away the flesh. I try to scream, but all that comes out is a tiny squeak. I lift my arms to protect my face, but my arms are not there. I look down to see that my legs are gone, too. The rats' hairs tickle my nose as they scuttle around my face, their pink tails whipping my cheeks. I close my eyes so that my eyelids can act like a bridge for the rats to cross over from the lower half of my face to the forehead. One rat is ferociously clawing at my chest, trying to reach my heart. Another rat crawls into my mouth, and I spit it out, coughing and sputtering to get the hairs out. Two rats pry my eyes open, and I see Macavity looming over me. His mouth moves, but I cannot make out the words coming out. It looks like he is muttering an incantation. He raises one paw over my face, directing all the rats to scamper to that area. All that remains of me now is my neck and head. Macavity snickers and says, "Take your last breath." I inhale deeply and close my eyes. My face twitches as the rats pile up on it and consume what is left of me. I open my eyes, and—_

I'm back in the real world. I enter reality with another ear-splitting scream. I still felt like my entire body had been dismembered. Plato was there holding me; he had been up all night. Apparently, I had been crying in my sleep, so he wiped the tears from my face. Once his paw came in contact with my skin, I shrieked again, remembering the same tingling feeling I had gotten with the rats.

"They'reeatingme, they'reeatingme…" I muttered.

"Nothing is eating you," Plato assured me.

"My arm is gone!" I bawled. "They ate me! They ate all of me! Macavity told them to consume me!"

Plato lifted my arm in front of my face. "Your arm is right here, Victoria. You just had a nightmare."

I shook my head vigorously. "No, it was real! I know it!" Plato sighed and cursed his father under his breath. _Slap him, slap him_, the voice ordered me. I obeyed. Plato sighed again after I whacked him and carried me downstairs. I punched his chest with the little energy I had left in me. He ignored my weak blows and walked to Macavity's office. Having entered without permission, Plato laid me down on the Hidden Paw's desk, clearing all the papers away and letting them drop to the floor. Macavity took hold of my paw, and I squealed again.

"How is she?" he asked Plato. I was quite surprised to hear his usual gruff voice have a hint of concern laced into it.

"Not good," Plato responded. "This is another reason why we need an infirmary here."

Macavity rolled his eyes. "Infirmaries are useless. It is not my responsibility if you henchcats get hurt."

"Only this time it _is_ your responsibility. You made her depressed, Mac. You ruined her life."

Macavity disregarded his tomson and combed his paw through my headfur. "Therats…therats…" I mumbled, still not forgetting the awful feeling of the hairy rodents picking me apart.

"What is she talking about?" Macavity wondered out loud.

"She had a nightmare last night. Apparently you ordered a bunch of rats to devour her," Plato replied.

Macavity raised his eyebrows. "I see."

Just then, about eighteen henchcats filed into the office and saluted Macavity. "We are ready for our duties, sir," one of them piped up.

Macavity opened his mouth to speak, but Plato interrupted. "Jerrod and Ozzie—go catch Victoria some breakfast. The rest of you—train for a few hours until Macavity is ready to see you. Dismissed." The henchcats looked at each other and shrugged. They decided that Plato was probably Macavity's second-in-command, so they saluted to Plato and marched off.

Macavity stroked my fur as if he actually _cared_ about me. "I am so sorry, Victoria," he apologized to me. _Whoa, is he actually being…sincere?_ "I am sorry you are so ill. If only you had a stronger mind, then this wouldn't have happened." _Oh, wait, he's not actually apologizing—he's blaming ME for being so weak. _Plato watched his father caress me, and I was sure he wished he was the one who could pet me like that. Macavity positioned his fingers around mine, intertwining them. My heart rate went up when he didn't let go of my paw, and I began to squeal in fear. I jolted up, but Plato restrained me. He forced me to recline on the wooden desk as I kicked and screamed in panic. My head jerked from side to side, and Macavity had to slap me again to get some sense into me. I winced and snarled at him. Luckily, before the ginger tom could strike me again, Jerrod and Ozzie strode into the room with what seemed like a feast in their paws.

"Okay, we found a few things around the building," Jerrod explained. He put a mouse in my paw, and I immediately shrieked.

"Rat! Rat!" I cried out.

Plato grabbed my arm to calm me down. "It's a mouse, Victoria. You love mice."

_He's lying, he's lying._ I chucked it across the room, and Plato sighed. "Do you have anything else?" he asked, exasperated.

"I found some tuna in a cabinet," Ozzie said, offering me the short and wide can.

I observed the wrapping on the can, which seemed to have read "Caution: Do Not Eat."

"Poison?" I thought out loud.

"No, Vicky, it's edible. You can eat it without—" I cut Plato off by throwing the can at his face. He didn't even flinch as it smacked his nose and bounced off, clattering on the floor. "Anything else?" he asked one last time.

Jerrod spoke up again. "We also were able to find some human-made cat food. It might be expired though…"

"It'll do," Plato said. Jerrod handed the cardboard box over to me. I tapped it with my knuckle and sniffed the opening of the box.

"What the heck is this?" I yelled.

Jerrod took the box away from me, poured some paw-shaped biscuits into his paw, and shoved them in front of my face. "It's cat food. This is what humans give their pet cats."

I slapped the biscuits out of his paw, and the odd, purplish-brown, dry food showered over us.

"Is there any way we can cure her?" Plato asked his father.

"There is no cure," Macavity responded. "She will have to get better on her own—that is, if she is ever able to."

"Well, how are we going to get her to eat until then?" Plato asked, obviously infuriated with his father for causing all this.

Macavity cackled. "Easy—you can either force her or threaten her. Your choice."

Plato rolled his eyes at his father's usual cruelty. He turned back to the henchcats and dismissed them. Meanwhile, the voice in my head came back to stir up some more trouble. _Kill them both. Kill them now._

But how?

_What does Macavity love?_

Killing cats, right?

_With…?_

Knives?

_Look to your right…_

I glanced over to my right side. Right there was a pile of dull knives on the corner of the desk.

Oh, Everlasting Cat.

_Do it._

Without warning, I whipped my arm out and snatched the first knife I came in contact with. I twisted my body over and lunged it straight at Plato.

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><p><strong>So all those days of suffering in Macavity's warehouse has finally gotten to her head :(<strong>

**A little bit about Schizophrenia: Symptoms that I include in my story are bizarre behavior, delusions, disorganized speech, and hallucinations. So Victoria is hearing things that nobody else hears (the voices in her head telling her what to do, Plato saying that he's going to hurt her), she can't talk right (slurs her words and changes topic randomly), and she sees things others don't see (the tuna can saying that you can't eat it). Sorry if that was confusing. **

**If you can't understand anything that she says, you can always leave a review or PM me, and I will happily respond :)**

**Is Victoria actually going to take a stab (literally) at killing Plato? Tell me what you think! Review, please!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	22. On My Own

**A/N: Hey hey hey! Sorry for the wait! The last chapter left off when Victoria was trying to stab Plato...let's see how that turns out! This chapter includes some minor violence, really vague thoughts of suicide, some creepy stuff, and a really monstrous paragraph at the end that I really hope is not boring! Just as a warning. Enjoy this interesting and random chapter!**

**To sarbear2255: Thank you for telling me :) I actually forgot to add that schizophrenia symptoms often come and go, but it never really fades away. But it wouldn't make much sense if it came and went so abruptly :/ Thank you!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats, but I own my OCs heehee.**

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><p>I pricked him a bit, but he jumped back before I could push it in any deeper. Beads of blood oozed out and dribbled down his waist. I paid no attention to him and sprang at Macavity, missing by an inch. The carroty tom snatched the knife away, pushed me against the wall, and held the blade at my throat. Plato padded over to us and cupped my cheek in his paw. I went completely berserk and probably would have crumpled to the floor had Macavity not pressed the blade harder against me.<p>

"Victoria," Plato began, his paw still on my cheek, "I want you to look at me." _Kick him. Kick him now._ I started to bring up my knee, but Plato stepped on my hind paw and kept it down. "Look at me, Victoria," he repeated.

"No!" I screamed in his face. Fear began to rise up in me when Plato's pale face turned a light shade of beet red in anger.

"I said look at me!" he shouted. I never liked it when I was yelled at, even when I was back at the junkyard with Jennyanydots and Jellylorum. My eyes became glossy with tears, and one accidentally escaped and rolled down my cheek. I looked at him through teary eyes and was instantly absorbed into his chocolate irises.

"I want you to clear your mind, okay?" Plato said, his voice taking a softer tone. "Tell that voice to go away." And exactly how was I supposed to do that?

_Kill him, kill him._

"It's telling me to kill you," I said in a shaky voice. "What should I do?"

"Don't listen to it, Victoria," Plato quickly replied. "Just ignore it."

I nodded my trembling head and tried to block out the voice in my mind. _Don't listen to him. He's a liar. They are all liars. _

"My'ead'urts," I grumbled. All this mental fighting was making my head throb.

Plato rubbed my cheek gently with his thumb. "Don't give up, Vicky," he urged.

_Give up. There's no use in fighting if you are just going to lose._

"I-Ican't…" _Go to the roof. Everything will be fine if you go to the roof._

"Theroof…" I mumbled, not having any control over my thoughts.

"This will never work!" Macavity growled. He then proceeded to knock my head against his desk, and I staggered back, trying to catch my balance. My vision blurred for a second, and everything seemed topsy-turvy. I blinked a few times, and eventually the linoleum floor regained its horizontality.

"Better?" Macavity snapped at me.

"Um…" _Kill that Pollicle now!_ I sighed, completely hopeless. "No."

Macavity hissed in frustration. He turned to his tomson and grimaced. "Plato, you are getting blood all over my reports."

"Huh?" Plato looked down and realized that the blood from his waist had drizzled down his leg and had stained Macavity's documents and other important papers that were laying on the floor.

Then I realized that I was the one who had wounded him.

I lifted my arm and pointed at the area where his blood was slowly trickling down from. "I did that?" I half asked, half stated.

"It's okay, Vicky," Plato assured me. "That doesn't concern me."

_Why don't you add some salt to those wounds?_

I obediently reached for another knife, but Macavity physically stopped me. "Control yourself, Victoria," he ordered me. _What do you think you are doing? Stop listening to him!_

"It's so hard!" I cried out. "It's so hard to control myself!"

The yellow-eyed cat exhaled noisily and faced the copper tom. "Wash yourself up."

"Yes, sir," Plato responded, giving a small salute on his way out. Macavity then turned to me, but I didn't look him in the eye. I just cried into the pads of my paws while peeking through the cracks between my fingers to look for any movements made by his hind paws. If I spotted him moving even the slightest bit I would jerk backwards. The only thing that could be heard was my endless sobbing. Macavity let me release my tears until none were left behind. Once I had resolved to plain sniffling and sniveling, I plopped onto the floor and hugged my knees to my chest.

"Wh-what c-can I do?" I snuffled. "C-can you h-help me?"

Macavity sat down next to me and draped his arm around my shoulders. "There is nothing I can do to help you. Only you can help yourself."

A fresh batch of cheers streamed down my cheeks. To think that I was all alone—that nobody else could even help me out—was just awful. I wasn't strong enough to cure myself—I needed aid from somebody else, and I didn't care who it was.

"P-p-please," I begged. "Please'elpme…"

But Macavity shook his head. "I can't."

I pushed him away and turned my back on him. "What do you mean you can't? You are…magical! You can do just about anything!"

The Napoleon of Crime chuckled and massaged my back relaxingly. I loosened up a bit and closed my eyes.

An image flashed in my mind. It was the scene that was going on right now, only Macavity held a knife in his paw. The blade pierced my back, and I felt a searing pain so unbelievable it felt as if I was being punctured by one hundred knives all at the same time. I recoiled sharply and screamed yet again.

"It hurts! It hurts!" I wailed. Macavity reached a paw out to me, but I shrank back into a corner of the room.

"Victoria—"

"Plato!" I hollered, hoping he would come and save me. "Plato, help!"

Macavity slapped his paw over my mouth. "Shut up!" he roared.

I writhed in this pain that didn't even exist. "Iturts, iturtssobad…"

"If you don't shut up right now the pain you are feeling will be nothing compared to the pain I will bring to you."

Needless to say, I shut up.

"Good." The ginger tom removed his paw from my mouth. He pulled me up and tilted my chin so that I could meet his eyes with mine. I cringed at his touch but didn't dare make a noise.

"Now tell me why you did that," Macavity demanded.

"Why I screamed?" He nodded. "Because you stabbed me."

Macavity narrowed his eyes at me. "Where?"

"In my back."

The carroty tom groaned and pushed me away like I was some sort of contagious disease. "It is just your Schizophrenia."

I tugged on his arm and tried to convince him that what I had seen and felt was not make-believe. "No, it was real! I know it! I could feel it and everything!"

"Don't lie to yourself, Victoria," Macavity spat back. "You and I both know you are making this up."

I shook my head rapidly and yanked on his arm even more. "Please, you need to trust me."

"Trust you?" he shouted in my face. "How can you expect me to trust you after all you have done?"

_Don't cry, don't cry._ But I couldn't help myself. _Oh, come on, don't be so weak! What, is this like the hundredth time you've cried in this past hour? _I didn't know what to say, so I just pathetically mumbled, "Sorry."

"'Sorry' doesn't cut it, Victoria," he retorted. "And those tears won't help you, either."

"I…I can't help myself!" I exclaimed.

Macavity scoffed, "You got that right."

I clenched my fists and as I began to feel a new emotion—anger.

"You can't possibly be blaming me for my Schizophrenia, can you?" I asked, infuriated.

"I am not blaming you for causing it, but it is your responsibility to fix it."

"I can't do it alone!" I bawled.

"I know you can't, but you have no other option," he snapped back.

"Macavity, I'm _begging_ you—help me get through this."

"I said no."

I sprinted to the door only to find that it was magically locked.

"Where do you think you are going?" Macavity inquired.

"I am going to find Plato," I responded, being completely honest.

"I already told you not to go near him. You have already had a few hours with him today, and you are not getting any more."

"Then I'll go find Adolph."

"No toms, Victoria."

"What about queens?" I asked, hoping I had found a loophole.

"You are the only queen in this building. The only alive one, at least," he replied with a smirk.

I disregarded the meaning of his remark and continued arguing. "Let me go, Macavity," I insisted.

"My angel, haven't we gone over this weeks ago?" He chuckled.

"I _meant_ let me out of this room," I hissed.

The Monster of Depravity snapped his fingers to unbolt the door. "You may go directly to your room _and_ _to your room only._ Understand?"

I nodded and managed to say a quiet "Thank you" before slipping out into the dimly lit hallway. Cezar and Sulvar were both patrolling the hall, and I avoided making eye contact with them. As I passed by my old cell, I remembered the Somali queen that had been beaten in there. I peeked inside and gasped when I saw the bloody body of the now pure red queen. Macavity's voice rang in my head: _"You are the only queen in this building. The only alive one, at least."_ I shuddered and quickly looked away. At least now she was peacefully living in the Heaviside Layer with the Everlasting Cat instead of staying in this torture chamber. Brushing the image out of my mind, I scampered down the hallway and made a few turns before arriving at my bedroom door. Just as I was about to turn the knob, I felt a heavy paw on my shoulder.

"Macavity!" I shrieked, sounding oddly like Demeter.

"Vicky, it's me." Plato turned me around to face him. "I wanted to know if you were okay."

I waited until my heart rate went down and then replied, "I'mfie. Jusalil…jusalil…"

"Tired?" he finished for me.

I nodded. "Macavitysentmetomyroom," I slurred.

Plato smiled and opened the door for me. "Sleep well."

I merely nodded again and stepped into the room, shutting the door in Plato's face behind me. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I thought about the reddish-orange queen Macavity had killed. I thought about Exotica and Admetus—did the Jellicles know if they were alive or not? So many thoughts were racing through my mind, I couldn't take it anymore. I collapsed onto my bed and didn't bother pulling the sheets over my body. I couldn't stop thinking about how I had stabbed Plato, and every time I did, my twisted conscience would scold me. I hadn't seen Adolph in a while; I told myself that I was going to see him tomorrow no matter what. I shut my eyes and rolled over, trying to go to sleep. That was made nearly impossible, though, because a few teenage henchcats were bustling about in the hallways, obviously up to no good.

"Dude, want a puff?" a teenage tom offered his friend.

"Whoa, dude, where'd you get that?" I heard his comrade respond.

The first tom snickered. "My old owners had a ton of them lying around the house. Do you want one or not?"

"Sure." Through the walls I could hear him inhaling deeply and letting out the smoke. "Aw, yeah, that's the stuff."

"Hey, hit me," another tom said. There was more inhaling and exhaling before one of the toms began to cough and hack.

"Hey, I'm done for the day," he remarked. I could hear him crush the cigarette with his hind paw. "Gotta keep my lungs strong, you know?"

"C'mon, just one more smoke. You know you want to," the first henchcat teased.

"Oh, alright," his friend gave in. Eventually, they pitched their cigarettes and walked off, finally letting me have some peace and quiet.

_Macavity shoves the drink down my throat. I don't know what it is, but I start having double vision. I stumble to the side and crash into a wall. Macavity laughs and says something, but I'm too dizzy to pay attention to him. My throat begins to close up, and my left eye goes blind. With my one good eye I try to stand up and make my way to the exit of the building, but Macavity shoves more of the liquid in my mouth. It is a reddish-purple substance with a splash of yellow swimming through it. I try to cough it up, but it is too late. I can no longer breathe, and that makes the Napoleon of Crime cackle even louder. Collapsed on the floor, I reach my feeble paw up to him and beg for him to stop and help me. He laughs again and roughly kicks me. My vision completely fades away, and all I can see is darkness. No black, no light, no anything—just darkness, but I can still sense Macavity is looming over me. The Mystery Cat continues to cackle, but his voice seems to be going farther and farther away, yet I can feel his presence is still here. Now, I cannot hear anything at all. The liquid is being forced down my throat again, only I cannot taste its peculiar flavor anymore. I try to talk, to whisper, to plead, but the poison he is feeding me has made me go mute. My fingers and toes go numb. The prickly sensation travels up my limbs until it feels like my entire body is asleep. My nostrils breathed in an odd scent, which identified itself as the faint odor of wet blood. Pretty soon my nose begins to feel stuffy and clogged. Even though all my main senses have left me, I know Macavity is still there. I can't see him, feel him, or hear him, but his laugh echoes in my mind. I can still picture him in my head—his carroty, zigzagging stripes and bright yellow eyes, his wild headfur and uncombed whiskers. I'm dying, I'm dying, and nobody is helping me. Macavity is cursing at me in my mind, calling me names and saying that I am worthless. I believe him. If nobody even cares to save me then obviously nobody loves me. He takes control of my mind and mentally weakens me. My head feels like it is about to burst, and the sound of his voice inside of it is not helping. I can't imagine what I look like now—a pile of ash? A lake of blood? A mountain of bones? It doesn't matter now, because pretty soon I will be safe with the Everlasting Cat, with Exotica and Admetus, and even the Somali queen Macavity had murdered. I will be living happily, free from Macavity, patiently waiting for Mistoffelees to come and join me. But for now, Macavity continues to torture me. I don't know what's going on and I don't know where we are. I don't even have my thoughts anymore, since Macavity overpowered my weak mind. One last thought goes through my mind: Is this a dream, or is it real? I choose the latter. _

I woke up so startled and frightened that I couldn't even scream. I couldn't make any sounds, which convinced me even more that what I had experienced was real. My sense of smell came back to me, and the first thing that hit my nose was smoke. I heard something that sounded like wood snapping. I rolled around and faced my empty room, my body still feeling numb. I could barely feel the intense heat in the bedroom, but I knew very well what it was:

Fire.

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><p><strong>That last word has forever changed this story now ;)<strong>

**Aye aye aye, wasn't that a long paragraph? Stay tuned for the next chapter, which will hopefully be posted tomorrow, but if not, you might have to wait until Friday. Sorry in advance! Plus, thank you to all of my reviewers! **

**If you have any questions, comments, and/or critique, please review! Plus, if you can't understand something Victoria is saying because of her slurring, you can just ask, and I will PM you or respond to your question in the next chapter.**

**Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more!**


	23. Scorched

**A/N: Hey hey hey! Guess what...THIS IS ME FROM THE FUTURE o_O Big thanks to Valiya for pointing this out to me: I had actually uploaded chapter 22 for this chapter 0_0 So there were two chapter 22's...I'm so sorry for that! I really hope you enjoy this chapter! :) :) :) There's a nice backstory thrown in there for ya ;) Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own CATS ;) ;) Just Adolphykins ^_^ hehehe...that wasn't creepy o_0**

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><p>It took me a moment to take in everything that was occurring. Once I had, I crouched down in the far end of my bed. As my senses came back to me, I could feel the flames licking at my face. The only thing I could see, though, was the thick, grey smoke. It stung in my eyes and tried to make its way down my throat. I stuffed my face into my knees and didn't bother looking up when I heard the door open. <em>I'm going to die, I'm going to die.<em>

Out of the blue, strong paws lifted me up, and I clung onto the cat for support. "Plato?"

The cat responded, "No, it's Macavity. Let's get you out of here." And with that he bravely carried me out of the building in one piece. After setting me down on the dirt ground, the ginger tom ran back inside to stop the fire, probably with magic. From the exterior, it looked as if only one half of the building was lit up while the other half was perfectly fine. The henchcats around me seemed confused and dazed as to how this could have happened, but I believed I knew. I recalled the conversation I had heard last night with the teenage henchcats and their mischievous doings. One or more of the cigarettes must have still been lighted when they threw them away without their knowing about it. It might have made contact with some scrap paper or some other flammable substance. Looking up, I saw the fire had already been half-extinguished by Macavity. I didn't recognize any of the baffled henchcats surrounding me until I spotted a familiar brown and white teen.

"Adolph!" I shouted, and almost immediately had a coughing fit. Adolph, having heard my cry, scurried over and hugged me tightly.

"Vick! Everlasting Cat, when was the last time I saw you? Are you okay? Can you believe this?"

"I'malright. 'Owareyou?"

Adolph let go of me and raised an eyebrow. "Vicky? Are you sure you're alright? You're talking funny."

I wrapped my arms around him again, glad to see my new friend safe. "Macdiagnosedmewith…" I sniffled a bit. "…withSchizophrenia. 'Esaysit'sincurable." I coughed lightly before continuing. "'EsaysonlyIcanfixit. 'Ewon'even'elpme. But I can't do it alone, Adolph! I just can't!"

Adolph petted my headfur and shushed me. "I'll help you, Victoria, I promise. But for now we need to make sure everyone's okay. Plato hasn't come out yet."

"I'msoscared, Adolph," I admitted to him. "I'mscaredofeverything—mySchizophrenia, thefire, thecatsIlovegettin'urt." I squeezed him harder. "WhatifPlatodoesn'tmakeitout?"

Adolph nuzzled me lightly. "He will, Vicky, he will."

But he didn't. I watched the front door intently, but no other henchcats fled from the building. An hour later, the fire was completely extinguished. Macavity poked his head out of the entrance and called out to us, "Fire's out. You can come in."

Adolph took my paw in his and held it tightly when entering the warehouse. Luckily, the fire hadn't done too much damage to the building. It must have been structured pretty well for it to be able to support itself through disasters like this. Although the warehouse itself didn't take much damage, the cats inside of it did. The first body I saw was Sulvar's, though I could barely recognize him. Most of his fur had been singed, leaving his pinkish-red flesh to be exposed. Adolph forced me to look away, but when I did, my eyes met those of another dead henchcat's. I cringed and resolved to looking down at my hind paws the entire time while I let Adolph weave me through the hallways. He was following Macavity, who was examining the building to find any destruction or rubble and to also see which henchcats had not made it out. I found twenty more dead henchcats lining the hallways. I looked over my shoulder and saw a long line of henchcats following us, all shocked to see their old friends burned by the flames. Turning back, I realized we were going down the hallway Plato's bedroom was a part of. I ran ahead of Macavity and burst through the navy blue door. The bunk beds in his room had all collapsed. Plato was standing over a burnt henchcat lying on the floor at his back paws. Macavity and the others finally caught up to me, and the ginger cat pushed me aside.

"I tried to save him. I really did," Plato explained to his father. "I got some others out, though. The rest are safe."

And then the unbelievable happened: Macavity walked towards Plato and hugged his tomson. It was…mind-boggling. Plato returned the embrace. It was such a quiet and peaceful moment that I didn't dare interrupt. Macavity gave the rust-colored tom a heavy pat on the back before letting go of him. I blinked a few times, thinking that this was just another hallucination. But Adolph sees it, too. He has a look on his face that says, "Huh…well…okay then."

Macavity rested a paw on his tomson's shoulder. "Thank you, Plato."

"It's nothing, Mac," the auburn tom replied, being modest. "Is everyone else okay?"

"Most are," the Hidden Paw responded. "We did lose a few of our best, though."

Plato had a look of disappointment on his face. "I'm sorry, dad. I tried to save them—"

"I understand, Plato," Macavity interrupted. "You did your best. I'm proud of you." He gave his tomson one more pat on his shoulder before turning to me. I was poking my head slightly into the entrance of the bedroom, hoping that I wouldn't disrupt their beautiful conversation.

"Isn't there someone you would like to see, Victoria?" Macavity said with a smirk.

_Don't go near him, Victoria. He's dangerous. DANGEROUS! _"Um…"

Plato didn't wait for an answer. He walked over to me but stayed a few feet away. He knew by now what not to do when my Schizophrenia was acting up.

"Hey Vicky," he greeted me.

I got lost in his soft, brown eyes. "Hi Plato," I squeaked. He took a step toward me, causing me to rashly step backwards.

"I'm not going to hurt you," he assured.

I lost my eye contact with him. "Liar," I spat out in a deep, scary voice.

Plato slowly held his paw out to me. "You can trust me."

I looked back into his chocolate eyes and instantly became captivated. I meekly lifted my paw and positioned it on top of his. My eyes redirected for a moment to the scorch marks all over his body.

"Plato…you'reburnt…" I trailed off. The Napoleon of Crime's tomson wrapped his arms around me and held me close. He smelled a bit like burnt toast, but I didn't mind all that much.

"That doesn't matter," he whispered in my ear. "You're safe, and that's all I need to care about."

Macavity rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, we all know how you are in love with _my _Victoria." He yanked Plato away from me and draped his arm around my shoulders. Glaring at his tomson, he warned, "Watch yourself, Plato."

Plato flicked his tail from side to side. "Yes, sir," he grumbled.

"Macavity?" I quietly mewed.

He looked down at me. "Yes?"

"Where are we all going to sleep tonight? Most of our rooms are destroyed."

"I don't know," he huffed. "Looks like we have to stay outside until I can find another building to replace this one."

"Campout!" Adolph shouted, pumping his fist in the air. The other henchcats did the same and cried out phrases like, "Yeah!" and "Wahoo!"

"Alright, alright," Macavity quieted them down. "We should get going if we want to find a good place to settle on. Move out."

They jogged down the hallway and filed out of the building. Macavity turned to Plato, who was gazing at the dead body before him.

"Coming, Plato?"

The seventeen-year old looked up at his father. "Oh, um, yeah. I'm coming." He carefully stepped over the corpse and followed us to the exit. Outside, it was already mid-afternoon. It was quieter than usual. Not many humans were outside. That was good, I guess, because it would probably be weird for them if they saw 150 henchcats all gathered together. We began heading west and walked block after block, still not finding an alley large enough for all of us to stay in.

"Mac!" I suddenly shouted.

Macavity looked at me with raised eyebrows. "Yes?"

"The ghost town! Wecanstaythere," I suggested.

The yellow-eyed cat kissed my forehead and laughed. "Thank you for the idea, Victoria, but don't forget that the town is teeming with dead pugs. We'll have to wait until they decompose."

I scrunched up my face in disgust and continued walking beside him. It was nearing sunset now. All of our shadows bunched together to create one giant mass of black. The toms in front of us were fooling around and cracking jokes. Adolph was the life of the party, though, with all his excitement and horse-playing. Through all the hullabaloo, a voice called out from the front row: "Yo, Mac! Come check out this alley! It's _huge!_"

Macavity tousled my headfur before making his way to the front, leaving me in the back with Plato. I pointed to the famous junkyard that I saw from the corner of my eye with my paw and looked at Plato.

"Look, Plato. It'smyold'ome," I said with a slight tone of sadness and longing.

"I know, Vick," Plato responded. "The Jellicles, right?" I nodded. "I've been there before."

"Iwouldimagineso. Macavity'atestheirguts, doesn't'e?"

Plato chuckled. "Pretty much. I remember living there myself when I was younger. I try to forget that time, though. It wasn't exactly the best years of my life."

"Why?" I inquired.

"Because the cats there thought I was…well…strange. They thought all I would do was kill, kill, kill. I would mostly just hide behind a large pile of junk and do my own thing. Nobody really knew me too well."

"Whenyoucameback…yaknow, foramissionorsomethin'…didtheyrememberyou?"

Plato shrugged. "I guess. But they only remembered me as Macavity's tomson. They hadn't heard from me for years, yet they automatically saw me as an enemy. It's tough, you know? Being the tomson of a criminal mastermind…it's not easy."

"I'msorrywetreatedyouthatway, Plato," I apologized, and I really meant it. To be honest, I hadn't noticed Plato much, either. And to me, he was just "Macavity's tomson." I felt really bad now, knowing how much I must have hurt him by not even paying attention to him and who he really was.

Plato chuckled again. "I remember the first time we met."

I looked up at him, eyes wide open. "'Yado?"

"Yeah. You were three, I think, and I was four. You were dancing in a small clearing when you spotted me behind a pile of junk. You shouted out, 'Who's there?' and then I came out and introduced myself. I told you that I was a Jellicle, but you didn't believe me and ran away. So at the time, I thought you were…snotty. No offence."

I giggled a little before responding. "You'avearighttocallmesnotty, Plato. Itreatedyoulikedirt."

A small smile played on his lips, and he continued. "The same year we met Macavity fled from the junkyard with me. He came to the warehouse. He rounded up about fifty henchcats to work for him, but then that number tripled to 150, and soon to 200. I grew up with these toms, really. They're like family…a really annoying family.

"And then later, when I was twelve, Macavity ordered me to go back to the Jellicles and take a 'census.' Demeter was already on bad terms with my father, and she sensed that I was there. Before shooing me away, I took one last look at everybody. They all had a look of disdain on their faces. The kittens were asking their parents questions like, 'Who _is _that auburn tom?' They all responded with, 'That's Macavity's tomson.' Old Deuteronomy was there, too. I couldn't really tell what he was thinking, but his face looked as if he was telling me, 'You're better than this. You know you shouldn't be working for Macavity.' Tugger was just smirking the entire time. Does he still do that?" I nodded again. "And you were clinging to my father's brother and said, 'Munku, that's the tom that was watching me dance.' I have to say, it was the first time somebody referred to me without saying that I was the Hidden Paw's tomson. It still hurt, though." He sighed. "And for your information, I was _not_ watching you dance!"

I tittered and continued bombarding him with questions. "Wasthatthelas'timeyousawtheJellicles?"

He shook his head. "No, Mac sent me on a few more missions to their junkyard after that. But the tasks he was giving me became more serious. He would tell me to 'cause destruction,' or 'steal their items,' or even 'kidnap one or two of them and bring them to me.'"

I gawked at him. "Anddidyou?"

He stared down at the ground, afraid to see my reaction to his response. "I'm ashamed to say that I did, Vicky. I can't lie to you. The red queen, Bombalurina, disappearing for a couple of weeks—that was me. I took her away and handed her over to Macavity. I was just fifteen at the time. When I kitnapped her, I remember she hissed at me, 'You're nothing but a idiot pollicle, you know that?' and I replied, 'Sorry, sweetheart, but it has to be done.' And then she continued to call me names while I carried her to Macavity, and then I had nothing to do with her anymore. I didn't think about what my father was doing to her, because I simply didn't care. Tugger found her, though, and they escaped together. And that's when my father got the idea of erasing memories from the Jellicles, so that they wouldn't come back for the missing Jellicle. He picked his next target, which was you, and…" He stopped when he noticed tears were welling up in my eyes. "You okay?"

I bobbled my head and smiled up at him. We finally reached the alley, and it was indeed very wide. It wasn't big enough, though, for us all. Lying down, we would all be crammed together. Macavity and the other henchcats had already started a small fire using a few twigs and, of course, Mac's magic. It really was a campout, just like Adolph had said. It was interesting to see all these burly henchcats loosen up and have fun. They were rolling around on the ground and doing acrobatics. They all seemed to have forgotten the fact that about fifty of their companions had just died.

By the time it was nightfall, half the henchcats were worn out and had fallen asleep. Macavity was leaning against one side of the alley, amused by his comrades and occasionally tossing a stick into the fire. Plato, Adolph, and two other henchcats were standing in a circle, having a conversation. I crawled over to Macavity, who seemed a bit lonely without his old dwelling.

"Sorryboutyourware'ouse, Mac," I said, trying to comfort him.

"You are too kind for your own good, Victoria," Macavity teased. "There is nothing to be sorry for." He looked at me with solemn eyes. "Are you feeling any better?"

"Ithinkthevoicesarestartin'togoaway," I responded.

"That's good." He stuck a fat mouse on a stick and roasted it over the fire. "You should rest. You walked eight miles today. There is nothing better for the mind than relaxing."

"Okay." I reclined on the ground next to him and closed my eyes as he stroked my fur.

"Good night," Macavity whispered.

"Good night, Mac."

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><p><strong>Hehe I managed to put some slight fluff in there o_0 ...Sort of...-.-<strong>

**Anyway! I really hope you all liked this chapter! If you have any questions, comments, or critique, please review :) :) :) Thank you to all my reviewers, favoriters, followers, and readers for keeping up with this story! :D :D Your support means a lot! ^o^**

**Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more! (-'u'-)**


	24. Save Me

**A/N: Hey! I hope you all like twists, because there is an interesting one at the end of this chapter. Warnings in this chapter: Some disturbing stuff in Vicky's dream and other violence later on. Just the norm ;) Enjoy!**

**To The Obsessed Oddity: No, that's a mouthful xD I just say queenkit. Queenkit and tomson.**

**To Bombastrap, wonderwumbojellicle, and sarbear2255: Thank you for the wonderful reviews! Your support means a lot!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own CATS.**

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><p><em>The Pom chases me into a blind alley. Dead end. I turn around just in time to see it lunge at my face. I jump backwards, but it latches itself onto my hind paw. Its sharp fangs dig into my skin and rip out of the flesh. I can't see my hind paw anymore, for it is completely covered in blood. It stuffs my entire back paw in its mouth and jerks it around as if we are playing a game of tug-of-war. I'm too scared to look at my back paw now, too afraid to see its appearance. The Pom slashes me behind the knees. The pain is excruciating, and I screech, "Plato! Plato!" but nobody comes. I feel so weak now that I give up. I let the dog slice me until I am drenched in my own blood. Every now and then I feel a sharp, stinging feeling in my back. I let myself relax. I want my last moments on Earth to be peaceful. I close my eyes and wince when my skin peels off. The Pom's endless barking, however, keeps me wide awake. I continue to whisper Plato's name, hoping he will somehow hear me. That's how it goes in fairytales, right? Fairytales are like dreams, and this is a dream, so shouldn't Plato be saving me by now? No, because this isn't a dream—it's a nightmare. No, this isn't a nightmare—it's real. The Pom cuts deeply into the back of my head. Words cannot describe the pain that follows. It yips annoyingly as it claws into my body heartlessly. I feel a paw on mine, and I look up with half-dead eyes to see a reddish-brown cat. I think its Plato. But then I see the yellow eyes. Macavity is here, holding my paw, whispering things like "I'm right here for you." But Plato isn't here, and I wish he was. I yowl again in pain, and Macavity squeezes my paw. "I'm here, I'm here," he whispers. I try to whisper back, "I know," but I'm too weak to do so. I let the Pom claw me to death. Macavity is there; Plato is not. That must mean Plato doesn't care; that must mean Macavity does care. I look up at Macavity one last time and manage to sputter out, "I love you," before the dog slashes my back and the blood drains out of me.<em>

I woke up and screamed my heart out. Macavity was leaning over me and holding my paw, just like in my dream. I felt so cold that I was shivering like mad. It was the pale dawn of a new day, and I had just woken up nearly all the henchcats. Macavity rested my head in his lap and smoothed down my headfur. I nuzzled his paw affectionately and murmured, "Thankyou…thankyou…thankyou."

Plato made his way over to me, but that just made me shriek again.

"Liar, liar, LIAR!" I screeched at him. "You said you would always be by my side, but you weren't! You weren't there and I was dying and Macavity was there and—"

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down, Vick," Plato said. "Did you have another nightmare?"

"NO! It wasn't a nightmare! It was REAL! I felt it! I felt it all! And you weren't there to save me! Why didn't you come? You were supposed to come and save me!" I burst into tears, and Macavity wiped each tear away as they flooded down my pale cheeks. All the other toms got up from their catnaps and were staring at the scene before them. Most of them hadn't seen me in this state before, even though I had been doing it every night.

"Victoria, I—"

"Leave her alone," Macavity snapped at Plato. "She needs some space away from you."

"Oh…iturts, Macavity, iturts…"

"Shhh, I know, my angel. I'm here." It was as if he was reciting my entire dream word to word.

"Whywasn'tPlatothere, Macavity? Whydidn't'esaveme…"

"I don't know, Victoria. It doesn't matter now, though, does it?"

I weakly shook my head no and waited for all my tears to spill out. Plato was standing by Adolph, most likely explaining a little bit more about my Schizophrenia to him. I gazed into Macavity's eyes, but I was mostly just zoning out. Once all my tears dried, I stood up, still shaking, and brushed the dirt off of my fur.

"Sorry, Mac," I mumbled sheepishly. "IthinkI'mokaynow."

Macavity got up on his hind paws and kissed my cheek comfortingly. "Just out of curiosity, what was this 'dream' about?"

"APomwaschasingme," I began. "Itchasedmeintoadeadend. ItattackedmeandIstartedcrying. Nobodycameto'elpme, butthenyoucame. You'eldmypaw…" My eyes began to water. "…andthenyousaid...itwouldbealright. Andthenthedog…"

Macavity wrapped his arms around me, and for some reason, I almost immediately felt better. I clung onto his matted fur and tried to slow down my breathing.

"I'mokaynow, Mac," I assured him. "Thankyou."

I felt a tap on my shoulder, and Plato turned me around. He was nervously fiddling with his tail as he apologized.

"I'm sorry, Victoria," Plato said. "I didn't mean to…um…abandon you."

I grinned at him. It was hard to be mad at Plato for _too_ long. "That'salright, Plato. Iguess…youdidn'really'aveanythin'todowithit, right?"

He nodded and smiled back before turning to Macavity. "It's dawn, sir. Shall we catch breakfast?"

"You may," Macavity replied. They both saluted each other, and Plato walked off to catch himself some mice.

I had lost my fear of rats a couple nights ago. Smiling sweetly, I asked Macavity if I could catch some mice, too. After his approval, I raced down the sidewalk and looked for any alleyways swarming with mice or pigeons. I hadn't realized how hungry I really was until now. Once I found a decent alley packed with furry, brown mice, I immediately began pouncing on them.

A few minutes later, I heard a twig snap and then a cat cursing. I swallowed my last mouse, stood up, and began backing away slowly. Suddenly, a random streetcat sprang at me and toppled us both to the ground. I mewed deafeningly until the cat clamped a paw over my mouth. Two spotted tabbies appeared behind the cat that had jumped me. I licked his paw and, once he had removed it from my mouth, I asked, "Whoareya?"

"Yeah, like we're tellin' you," the cat who attacked me retorted.

"Wh-what is it thatyawant?" I inquired, my voice shaking a bit.

"Information," he spat back at me. "We know you work for Macavity, and we're sick and tired of all the trouble he's caused us streetcats. We want to know everything about him and his crew so that we can overthrow him. Tell us everything—his strengths, weaknesses, his army. Tell us now!"

"Macavity!" I hollered. "Macavity, help!" _Everlasting Cat…did I just call for Macavity's help? Do I…like him? DARN HIM!_

The streetcat snapped me out of my thoughts by slapping me hard across the face. I tried kicking my legs at him and ferociously bared my teeth, only to be met with yet another smack.

"I said tell us!" he hissed.

"Iwould, butIbarelyknowanythin'boutMacavity," I lied.

Another slap. "Don't lie! We've seen you with him!"

"I'mjus''isprisoner!" I cried. "'Edoesn'tellmeanythin'regardin''isduties."

He turned me on my stomach and twisted my arm behind my back. Then I heard a sickening crunching noise. _Oh, no_, I thought._ My bones…_

And then the cat is off of me. I shake my arm out and realize that I had not broken anything but that the two spotted tabbies had.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Who do you think you are?" the streetcat spat back at my savior.

"I _think_ my name is Plato, and I _think_ I'm Macavity's tomson."

The cat suddenly lost his superiority and bowed down to his overpowerer. "M-my apologies. I'm s-sorry. I didn't know—"

"It's too late for sorry," Plato snarled, and I looked away as he finished the cat off with his knife. The auburn tom darted over to me and picked me up. I buried my face into his fur, and neither one of us said a word on the way back to the campsite. I lightly ran my fingers over his scorch marks. They revealed thin strips of pink flesh on his right side. I felt…foolish. How could I have thought Plato didn't care about me? And I had blamed him for something he had no control over. How _stupid_ could I be?

"I'msorry…" I whispered inaudibly into his fur. He didn't respond, but I was almost positive he heard me.

A few minutes later, we arrived at the campsite. Once Plato stepped into the alley, all eyes were on us. I ignored their looks, though, and instead stuffed my face deeper into Plato's fur. The tips of a few of the hairs were still black from the fire, and his fur overall was uneven in length.

Macavity groaned to himself when he saw us and padded over. "What happened?"

"Threetoms," I began. "Therewerethreetoms, andtheywereplottin'tooverthrowya. Theywerethreatenin'to'urtmeifIdidn'give'emtheinformationtheywanted. AndthenPlatocamealong…and'ekilled'em." I wiped a tear away from my cheek, though I wasn't even sure why I was crying. "'Esavedme, Mac. 'Ereallydid."

Macavity, obviously not wanting to hear anymore, took me from Plato's arms and stood me up on my hind paws. "You are well?"

I nodded enthusiastically. "I'mwell."

"Dad, are you sure it's safe to stay out here?" Plato asked. "I'm sure there are more of those streetcats lurking around."

Macavity death-glared his tomson. "When you have another idea, Plato, be sure to speak up."

Macavity turned to leave until Plato spoke up. "We could stay with the Jellicles."

The Hidden Paw whipped around and looked fiercely at the auburn tom. "What did you say?" he hissed.

I stood in Plato's defense. "TheJellicles. Maybethey'llbekindenoughtotakeus—"

"Shut up!" the carroty tom screeched, giving me my fourth slap of the day. It was also the hardest one, and I stumbled backwards from the impact. "I don't want to hear about them."

"Actually, Mac," one of the henchcats nearby started, "it's a pretty nice place. We could all fit there."

"Yeah, Mac," Adolph agreed. "It's time you made peace with those Jellicle Cats. Besides, you always seem to lose when fighting against them…"

All the other henchcats mumbled and nodded in agreement. Macavity was steaming by now.

"Traitors!" he scolded his henchcats. "The Jellicles are our sworn enemies. The world would go mad if we made peace with them. And they would never accept us, don't you see? They hate us just as much as we hate them."

"ButMacavity," I began, "ifyaletthemremembermeagain, thenIcanconvince'emtoletusstayinthejunkyard."

"C'mon, dad," Plato encouraged. "You can start fresh with the Jellicles. You've got nothing to lose. What do you say?"

Macavity smirked. "I say…alright."

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><p><strong>What do you think? Surprised or saw it coming (I don't want my story to be predictable or anything : haha)? Once again, sorry for Victoria's speech. Questions? Comments? Critique? Please review!**

**Hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter may not be up until Friday or Saturday. Stay tuned for more! Thanks to all of my reviewers and readers!**

**Thanks for reading!**


	25. Welcome Back, Or Not

**A/N: Hi! First of all, I would like to apologize for the lack of details in this chapter. It is kind of rushed, but that's because I'm all excited for the things that are going to happen next. Also, sorry for the shortness. I felt like I was at a good stopping point. Next chapter will be long, I promise. Hope you enjoy!**

**Thank you to wonderwumbojellicle, Bombastrap, sarbear2255, and The Obsessed Oddity for reviews!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS.**

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><p>I squealed and hugged the ginger tom tightly. He seemed surprised at this action momentarily and staggered back a bit. I tugged hard on his arm. "C'mon! Le'sgo!" I eagerly dashed ahead to the gates with over a hundred henchcats trailing behind me. I peered through the bars of the junkyard. The main clearing was empty. Even Munkustrap wouldn't be up this early in the morning. Macavity pushed me back and raised his arms up straight in front of him, his fingers spread apart. He seemed to be deep in concentration. I could barely hold in my excitement; I knew he was making their memories return to them now.<p>

"Mac?" I whispered as to not disturb him.

"Shh," he said, eyes closed. After a few minutes of complete silence, he dropped his arms back by his sides and replied, "Yes?"

"TheJellicles…willtheyknowthatI'avebeengone? Willtheyknowwhat'appenedtothem?"

The carroty tom conjured up what looked like a small stick of dynamite and answered, "No. It will be as if you had never left. They will think that all this time you were gone you had actually been right here with them. Now, cover your ears." He lit the miniature stick and threw it into the clearing. Without asking any other questions, I clamped my paws over my sensitive ears, squeezed my eyes shut, and flinched when I heard a huge blasting sound. I opened my eyes and could barely see the outline of Macavity's face through all the smoke.

"Whatwazzatfor?" I asked him.

Macavity snickered. "Just a little something to wake them all up."

The space between the bars were wide enough for all of us to quietly slip through. Just as the last henchcat shimmied himself through the gate, Munkustrap came racing out of his den.

"Victoria?" the silver tabby said, waving his arms back and forth in the air to clear the smoke. "Victoria, is that you? What are you doing out here? You should still be in bed."

I followed his voice, and, once I felt my arm bump into something, I wrapped my arms around him and jumped up and down in excitement.

"I missed you!" I squealed, forgetting that to him I had always been here.

He awkwardly hugged me back. "I see…I didn't think that you would miss me after not seeing each other for six hours, but whatever makes you happy."

I heard the quiet footsteps of the other Jellicles come towards us. I ran to my brother Mistoffelees and gave him a big hug as well. The smoke was thinning, and just minutes later, after many hugs and confused faces, the entire junkyard could be seen once more.

Suddenly, Munkustrap shouted out, "Get back!"

Macavity and his henchcats were in plain sight. Each and every one of them was smirking and standing their ground as if they were just visiting a good friend of theirs. Munkustrap and the older Jellicles—Asparagus, Jennyanydots, Jellylorum, Alonzo, Skimbleshanks—hissed wildly at them. I glanced over at Demeter. She was trying to stay strong, but I could see her visibly shaking in fear. Bombalurina, however, was harder to intimidate. The scarlet queen stepped closer to the gang of criminals and looked straight into Plato's eyes.

"Nice to see you again, Plato," Bombalurina said, her voice smooth like velvet. "How've you been?"

Plato hissed at her, and she strutted off to stand by the Rum Tum Tugger. Munkustrap spread his arms out in a defensive position and hissed back.

"You know you are not welcome here, Macavity," Munkustrap growled. "You might as well leave now."

Macavity rolled his eyes. "Don't be so hasty, my dear brother. First of all, as you can see, you are outnumbered. And second, I no longer wish to bring harm to you or your tribe of Jellicles. In fact, I wish to become one again."

"No," Munkustrap retorted. "You can no longer be trusted, Macavity. Neither can your henchcats. Not even your tomson."

"His name is Plato!" I screeched, remembering how much the copper tom hated to be referred to as just "Macavity's tomson." "And he's good, I'm telling you! Maybe before he didn't seem like it, but he is now!"

"Good?" Tugger spat out. "Two years ago he kitnapped Bomba and brought him to Macavity, and you expect us to believe that now he has just _magically_ turned good?"

"And whot about the toime when 'e stole me pea'ls?" Rumpleteazer shouted out in her thick cockney accent.

"And the time when he burned down my den?" Alonzo added.

"Or when he tripped me on the sidewalk!"

Everyone turned to see who had shouted out the ludicrous comment. Pouncival stared back at over a hundred faces looking directly at him. "Well he did!" the kitten persisted. The Jellicles turned back to Plato and continued telling him off.

"Or the time when he—"

"And a few years ago when—"

"Once he even—"

"Enough!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. "You are all letting your past feelings for him get the best of you! You all _need_ to forgive and forget!"

"Not until you tell us where Admetus and Exotica are!" Electra hollered.

"Yeah! Where are they, huh? What have you done with them?" the rest of the tribe interrogated Plato.

"Just _stop_ _it!_" I screamed. After regaining my composure, I walked over to Munkustrap and calmly begged him to let them join our tribe, or to at least let them stay for a while.

"Please, Munkustrap. Macavity'sware'ouse'asbeenburneddown. Asamattero'fact, Macavity_saved_mefromthefire. That'sgottacountforsomethin', right?"

Munkustrap eyed me carefully and placed the back of his paw against my forehead. "Victoria, are you okay? You seem to be speaking strangely."

I brushed his paw away from my face. "I'mfine. Jusaliltired. Pleaselet'emstay, Munkustrap. Please."

Tugger interrupted. "Excuse me, but did you just say that my brother saved you from a fire?"

I widened my eyes, realizing my mistake. "Uh…didI? Sorry, asIsaidbefore, I'mabittired."

"Victoria, something is going on between you and Macavity, and you're not telling us. We want to know what it is, and we want to know _now_." Munkustrap stared me down, and I bit my lip while telling myself not to crack under the pressure.

"_Lie, Victoria, lie," _Macavity's voice echoed in my head. _"Don't tell them, Victoria. If you do, I will have them forget you all over again."_

"Okay, well, um, thetruthis…um, Iwaskindaboredoneday…soIdecidedtodosomeexplorin'." _Yep, that's the ticket. _"AndIwanderedintoMacavity'swarehouse…andit...caughtonfire…jus'likethat...and…yeah." I could hear a few henchcats chuckling behind me.

"Are you sure?" Munkustrap questioned, deeply concerned.

"Yepyepyep, that'swhat'appened!" I replied a little too enthusiastically.

Munkustrap curled his lips up into a small smile, but then uncurled it into a straight line again. "Do you really believe Macavity has changed?" he whispered into my ear.

I nodded. "I'llkeepaneyeon'im, ifyawant. I'lllookafterPlato, too. Anddoyathinkwecanlet'is'enchcatsstayforalittlewhile, aswell?" I stuck out my bottom lip and pouted. "Theylosttheir'ome, Munku. An'I'llmakesuretheydon'tgetintoanytrouble. We can finally make peace with Macavity! Isn't this great?"

Munkustrap smiled and nodded, but then muttered under his breath, "A little _too_ great…"

I ignored his comment and bounded up to Macavity. "Didya'earthat, Mac? Munku'slettin'yastaywithus! And all your henchcats, too!"

"But only if you comply with these rules," Munkustrap said sharply. "One: You may not stay up past nightfall. I don't care what you have to do, I don't care how soon nightfall is, but you may not be awake any later. Two: I want you _away_ from the kittens, do you hear me? And that includes Victoria."

"But—" Macavity interjected.

Munkustrap shot daggers at his brother with his eyes. "Do you want to stay here or not? No going near our kittens. If I see you speaking to or even walking _toward _Pouncival, Tumblebrutus, Jemima, Electra, Etcetera, Mistoffelees, or Victoria, you will be banished for life. Are we clear?"

"Yes," Macavity grumbled. "Continue."

"And furthermore, I don't want you _anywhere near my Demeter_. I don't want you looking at her, I don't want you talking to her, I don't want you listening to her, I don't want you to even _think_ about her.

"And lastly, if you cause anyone in this tribe pain, and I mean _anyone_, I will make sure you don't live to see the sunset." I cringed at Munku's tone of voice. I had never seen him so fierce before. He turned to Plato. "As for you, all the same rules apply. These rules apply for all you henchcats, as well." He jerked his chin up at the crowd of cats surrounding Macavity. "And don't expect to stay here forever. This is only _temporary_. We have plans coming up, and we don't need you to ruin it for us." I gasped to myself. The Jellicle Ball! I had almost forgotten about it!

Etcetera squinted at Adolph and pointed at him. "Hey, weren't you the kitten who almost killed—"

"SO! Where do we sleep?" Adolph cut her off.

Munku scratched his head. "I don't feel comfortable about you sharing a den with any of us, and I don't think I ever will be." He sighed, obviously not very pleased with all the trouble they were already bringing. "You may have to sleep in the clearing for now. BUT I will have someone on night patrol so don't try anything, Macavity. You should be grateful that we are even giving you a chance at all."

Macavity bowed his head a little. "I am."

None of the grown-ups were convinced, though. They all guided their kittens back to their dens. Munkustrap pulled me away from the criminals and led me to the den I shared with Mistoffelees. You wouldn't be able to tell that it was our home from the outside. It was a normal-sized pipe that gradually widened until it was big enough to fit a few cats at a time, and Mistoffelees had been in love with that pipe since he was just a little kitten. It was beginning to rust, but I didn't mind. It had sentimental value.

Mistoffelees was on his stomach on the ground, his elbows propped up and his chin resting in his paws. In front of him was a book opened to the first page. The title read, "Intro to Magic."

"Watchareadin', Misto?" I said, crawling beside him.

He looked at me and almost immediately dropped his smile. "Why are you so chummy with Macavity all of a sudden?" he said in a serious tone.

I gulped. "Uh…whaddyamean?"

He sat up and crossed his legs in a pretzel shape. "You know what I mean, Vicky. You were begging Munku to let him stay here. You know he's our enemy, Vick. How can you trust him so easily after all he has done to the Jellicles?"

I didn't know how to respond. He was right—how _could_ I trust him? Macavity has done some nice things for me, sure, but he has mostly done awful things: killing Exotica and Admetus, punishing and starving me, forcing me to love him…the list never ended. The more I thought about it, the more I became uneasy about letting him stay in the junkyard.

"Vicky?" Mistoffelees snapped be back to reality. "Have you been seeing Macavity outside the junkyard?"

"What? No!" I responded, pretending to be outraged by his accusation. "ExceptforwhenIlurkedaround'islair, Ineverwenttosee'im."

Misto just stared at me with his big brown—almost black—eyes, waiting for a more detailed explanation. I sighed and continued. "Don'yourememberPlato?"

The tuxedo tom shook his head. "That was over a decade ago, Vicky. And even then I had only caught sight of him two or three times a month. I always knew he was up to something…and I was right. He works for Macavity." He shook his head again in disapproval and tsked. "But I dunno. Maybe he changed. Maybe they all did. We'll just have to wait and see, I guess."

I smiled and read the book along with him, often stumbling over words I had not seen before. I had no idea what a "Houdini" was, and the words "optical illusion" kept on popping up here and there. After we read the introductory chapter together, I suggested, "MaybeMaccan'elpyouwithyourmagic!"

Mistoffelees wrinkled his nose at me. "You call him 'Mac'?"

I ignored his look and carried on. "Isn'tthatagreatidea? Youcouldlearnalotfrom'im!"

"I rather not—"

Just then, two chestnut- and cream-colored cats entered our pipe. Coricopat and Tantomile graciously nodded and smiled at us before speaking.

"Victoria, may we speak with you for a moment?" Coricopat politely asked.

"Victoria, may we have a private chat with you for a minute?" his sister restated.

_Oh, no. This cannot be good._ I quickly thought up of an excuse at the top of my head. "Sorry, Coryan'Tanto, butIneedtogoseeMunkustrapfor…something." I quickly darted past the psychic twins, brushing against them as I left the pipe. I felt their eyes fire lasers at the back of my head, slowly boring into my brain until they reached my inner conscience. They were searching my mind—I could feel it. I scuttled out of the den and away from their view. I couldn't let them know what I had been through—I couldn't let anybody ever find out.

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><p><strong>What do you think? This chapter wasn't exactly the most exciting chapter, but I need to set up a foundationbase for my next few chapters, you know? Next chapter will hopefully be posted tomorrow. Thanks for reading!**

**Please review! Thanks to all my reviewers so far! If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. Critique is VERY appreciated.**

**Also, just in case there was any confusion or something, Victoria can speaking normally when she is shouting or exclaiming something. So sometimes her words are slurred together and sometimes they are not. Just to clear things up :)**


	26. Plato's Queens

**A/N: Hey! I took more time with this chapter, so hopefully it doesn't sound rushed. We left off with Victoria running out of her den when Coricopat and Tantomile were looking into her mind to find the truth of where she has been for the past month. In this chapter, we'll also learn a little more about Plato from his times from back at the warehouse. Enjoy!**

**Thank you Macavity'sGirl722 for your fabulous review!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own CATS; it belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, and RUG.**

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><p>Out in the clearing, the henchcats separated themselves into cliques and were murmuring in low voices. Every now and then a Jellicle would pass by hastily, as to not catch the eye of one of the villains, but the henchcats were intently watching every single one of them. Whenever a queen passed by, the group of henchcats closest to the queen would mutter something and then burst out into fits of laughter. Alonzo was supposed to be patrolling the area for the day, but instead he was having a stern conversation with Macavity. He kept his distance, though, from the ginger cat, as if he was still afraid of him. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but the white and black-patched tom was constantly sneering at the Napoleon of Crime. Out of nowhere, I heard squeals of delight and giggling coming from three kittens, followed by a "Shh!" from an overprotective queen. I spun around and saw Etcetera, Jemima, and Electra sitting outside the den shared by Etcetera's parents, Jellylorum and Asparagus. The mother was guarding them from Macavity and his companions. The kittens, however, didn't seem to be too afraid, except for Jemima, who would nervously glance back at the criminals now and again. One time when she looked back, Adolph caught her eye and waved. The wide-eyed kitten quickly looked away, but I could tell she was holding back a smile. I padded over to them and invited myself to sit in their circle.<p>

"Hey, whazzofunny?" I asked.

Etcetera and Electra looked at each other before tittering some more. Jellylorum shushed them once more. The adult queen didn't want any attention drawn to them. It was enough that they were out here in the open with the enemy just a few feet away.

"We were just talking about the prank we pulled on Pouncival yesterday!" Electra said.

"It was hilaaaarioooouuuus!" Etcetera chimed.

"Etcetera! Keep it down!" Jellylorum hissed at her queenkit.

"Oops! Sorry, mama!" Etcetera apologized, trying to stifle her laughter. "Anyway, you soooo should have been there, Vicky! It was _the_ prank of all pranks."

"Well, then, tellmealready!" I insisted.

"Okay," Electra began, "so you know how gullible Pouncival is, right?"

"Uh, sure?"

"So yesterday," Etcetera explained, bouncing up and down, "Pouncie went to bed early, and we decided to give him a little scare."

"It was _not_ a 'little' scare!" Jemima interrupted. "It was mean! I wish you hadn't talked me into it."

Etcetera playfully thwacked her friend. "C'mon, Jem! It was funny, and you know it."

Jemima scowled at the kitten but couldn't suppress her laughter. Her frown instantly turned into a bright smile, and she started giggling again. "Fine, maybe it was."

"Whaddyado?" I asked, eager to hear the rest of the story.

"Well, earlier that day, Pouncival was bragging about how he was the 'most macho tom in the entire tribe,' and we wanted to prove him wrong. And then at nighttime, while he was sleeping in his den, we gathered around and…" Electra paused to let more giggles out. "…and we started barking really loudly like dogs! Then Pouncival came running out screaming, 'AAAHH! AAAHH! POLLICLES! PLEASE DON'T EAT MY FACE! I'M TOO YOUNG TO DIIIIIIEEE!'"

At this we all exploded into laughter. Jemima was laughing so hard that she wasn't even breathing. Etcetera rolled around and kicked her legs in the air. About a minute later, we had all quieted down (although we would have gone longer if Jellylorum had not shushed us). We all sighed one last time and wiped a tear out of our eyes. And then I started it again. I could totally imagine Pouncival darting out of his den and screaming like a little queen! My new laughing fit became contagious, and the four of us couldn't help but giggle again and again.

"What's all the hubbub, ladies?"

We all turned to see the Rum Tum Tugger sauntering over to us with his prominent mane. Etcetera squealed deafeningly, and not even Jellylorum could stop her.

"TUGGSIE WUGGSY!" she shrieked, wrapping her arms around him and jumping up and down. "I missed you! The last time I saw you was four hours ago!"

"Uh, I was sleeping four hours ago," Tugger responded with a confused face.

"I know!" she replied, beaming up at him. Tugger's eyes widened, and he took a step backwards.

"Yeah…Anyway, I was wondering if any of you _lovely_ queens—"

Etcetera fainted.

"—would happen to know where my nephew is?"

Jemima went over to fan her hyperactive friend.

"Oh, dear," Jellylorum muttered, obviously tired of her kitten's obsession with the oh-so-fabulous Rum Tum Tugger. Jellylorum kneeled by her side and shook her awake. Etcetera's eyes flung open and she bounced back up on her hind feet and began playing with Tugger's tail. Jellylorum sighed, exasperated, and went back to her den, leaving the Maine Coon to kittensit the queens.

"Plato? Why, he'srightover—" I looked back to see that the tall copper tom was no longer with the others. "Hm. Iwonderwhere'eis. I'llgolookfor'im." I stood up and searched the areas farthest away from the clearing. Plato was aloof and distant as a kitten. Maybe he still was. I looked behind junk piles and finally found him leaning against a tall mountain of junk, hugging one knee to his chest while having the other leg stretched out in front of him. He was gazing up at the sky, even though there was nothing particularly interesting about it.

"Plato, whyaren'tyouwiththerestoftheJellicles?" I asked.

Plato lowered his head to look at me. "Why should I? They all hate me. Besides, it's not like I can even talk to any of them. I'm not even allowed to talk to you."

"But _I _amtalkin'to _you_. And I wantya torespond."

I was surprised to see him smile a little. "You're speech is improving."

I hadn't even noticed that my words were starting to sound less slurred. "Really?"

Plato nodded and continued to look back up at the partially cloudy sky.

"Itis 'ardtogain a Jellicle'strust, Plato," I explained. "You'ave togive'em time. But I wish, too, that theywouldsee the goodinyou." I smiled at him, but he didn't notice. "Comeon. Tugger wantsto seeyou!"

But Plato didn't listen. He just continued moping. "I'm an outcast, Victoria," he said. "I don't belong here. The Jellicles are good cats. I'm a murderer."

He seemed so comfortable saying all that stuff about himself. I pulled on his arm to get him into a standing position. "I don't care. I still trustyou. Hidingaway likethis isn't gonna solve anything. Youruncle wantstoseeyou! Go talk to Tugger!"

Plato combed his fingers through his headfur. "Okay."

I didn't let him have a second thought about it. Grabbing his arm again, I dragged him along, meandering around junk piles until we reached the clearing. Etcetera was latched onto Tugger's leg, and Jemima and Electra were pulling on her hind paws, trying to pry her off.

"Tugger, I found him!" I called out.

Tugger looked up from the queen hugging his leg and grinned when he saw his nephew in front of him. "Well, aren't you a grown tom? And handsome, just like your uncle." He popped his mane and smirked. Tugger momentarily lost his cool and laid-back attitude and replaced it with a rare, serious one. Roughly poking the younger tom's chest with his finger, he said, "I still don't trust you, though, so don't think that I do." The Maine Coon walked over to the TSE-1, Etcetera still squeezing his leg, and sat on the hood of the car. He patted the space next to him. "Sit," he ordered. "Let's talk."

Plato groaned but sat next to him on the hood anyway. "About what?"

Tugger smirked again. "My favorite topic."

"Which would be…?"

Tugger punched his nephew's shoulder. "Aw, c'mon, Plates. You know what I mean."

Plato just stared at where his uncle had punched him. He looked back up at the older tom and said, "Did you just call me 'Plates'?"

"Queens, Plato, queens! The whole reason we toms live!"

The auburn tom kept his unenthusiastic attitude. "What about queens?"

"Not just any queens—your queens."

"My queens?"

Tugger jerked his eyebrows up and down repeatedly. "_Your _queens."

Plato sighed in annoyance. "Why do you want to know about this?"

The Maine Coon had a look on his face that showed that he thought Plato was being dumb. "Why _wouldn't_ I want to know about this?"

"It's kind of personal."

Tugger nodded. "Yeah…I really don't care. You've stayed at my brother's place for your whole life. I'm guessing you've met some pretty fine-looking queens there, hm?"

Plato shot his head up and looked at me. "Beat it, Victoria."

I was surprised by his sudden change in tone. "Um…why?"

"You heard me." He gestured to the pipe with his head. "Go."

_Plato's just grumpy, that's all_, I told myself. I turned to ask Jemima and Electra if they wanted to go hunting, but they weren't there. _Jemima must be scared of Plato_, I thought. I sighed and obediently replied, "Okay," before heading over to Pouncival and Tumblebrutus' den to tease Pounce about how "macho" he was. I stopped before entering and decided to eavesdrop on their conversation instead. _This could be interesting._ Sneaking over to my pipe, I smiled deviously while crawling in. I went in deep enough so that they wouldn't be able to see me but close enough to the clearing so that I would be able to hear their voices.

"When I was fourteen," I heard Plato say, "I met this queen named Silje. She was a pretty good henchcat, until my father noticed that she was becoming less obedient. So he…killed her."

The Maine Coon was stunned. "He killed her," Tugger repeated, dumbfounded.

"Yep."

"Your father killed your queenfriend?"

"Yeah. And then when I was fifteen I met Eliora. She was my dad's friend's queenkit. I got kind of tired of her and got rid of her."

I gulped.

"…Got rid of her?" Tugger asked his young nephew, still shocked.

"Yeah."

"Like…you killed her?"

"Yep. You see why I don't want to tell you these things? And _then_ a few months later I got together with another one of my dad's henchcats, Irini. But then she went psycho and ran away."

"You're kidding me!"

"Nope. And in case you were wondering, I got over these things pretty fast. I wouldn't sit and cry about them. I guess they weren't really important to me." He exhaled before continuing. "And then later that year—"

"There's _more?_"

"—I met Wenonah. But then Mac sent her on a mission, and nobody ever saw her again. And _then_ when I was sixteen, another one of my dad's henchcats and I got together. This queen—Sarice, she was from Switzerland—was another one of those good-at-first-but-then-got-on-my-father's-nerves henchcats. And I'm guessing you know what happened to her. _Then_, a few weeks later, I got together with Agata. I guess I was being kind of controlling or something, because she also ran away. The next month I met a henchcat named Duvessaria. She was _really_ getting on my nerves, so I…you know. About two months later, I spotted another new henchcat named Jessamine. Once again, my father did not approve of her, and that's when he decided to stop taking in queens as henchcats. And there you have it."

I could see why Plato didn't want me around while he was telling Tugger all of this.

"Wow, that's a looooooootttaaaaaaaa queens!" Etcetera exclaimed. "But I bet Tuggsie has more, right Tuggy?"

"Time for you to go home, pretty kitty," Tugger told the tabby kitten, shaking her off of him. Etcetera squealed with joy at her new nickname and gave the Rum Tum Tugger one last hug before running off. Unfortunately, instead of going back to her den, she had probably decided to pay Pouncival a visit. While scurrying past the pipe, she spotted me eavesdropping and halted.

"Victoria! What are you doing here?" Etcetera nearly shouted.

I facepawed myself.

"How come you're poking your head out like that? Are you looking for someone?" Etcetera blabbed away.

I pounded my forehead against the surface of the pipe.

Etcetera gasped. "Are you _spying_ on somebody? Are you spying on Pouncie? Where is he? I wanna spy on Pouncie!"

Tugger and Plato, having heard our commotion, glanced over at us. I immediately started blushing.

"Hey, Vicky, why's your face all red?" Etcetera questioned. "Are you angry with somebody? Are you _in love _with someone? Vicky, why aren't you talking? Viiiiiiiiickyyyyyy!"

"Hey, Cettie, why don't you go catch some pigeons for me?" Tugger suggested.

"Oooooookaaaaaaayyyy!" Etcetera skipped off to search deeper into the junkyard.

"She hasn't changed a bit," Plato remarked.

"She's growing, just like the rest of us." Tugger patted his nephew's shoulder and got off of the TSE-1. "Nice knowin' 'ya, Plates. And just so you know, the Jellicles have a mighty fine selection of queens." He winked at me.

I blushed an even deeper red.

"Good to know," Plato responded cantankerously.

Tugger began to swagger off, but called over his shoulder, "I'm no wise guru, but I don't think your reputation's gonna help you in the future. Just sayin'."

My face still felt red and hot. I waited until I cooled off and then sat next to Plato on the car. Plato didn't bother to look at me. I suddenly felt scared to be around him. It was unsettling to know how easily he could just get rid of queens. What if I had the same fate? I slowly scooched myself away from him.

"I told you to leave because I didn't want you to know," Plato explained with his head in his paws. "I'm just like Mac. I'm just like my father."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was afraid the wrong thing would come out. I couldn't exactly argue with him.

"It's hard to control myself," Plato continued. "But I think you've already found that out."

I scooted farther away. Plato noticed this time.

"Are you scared of me, Victoria? I already told you I wasn't going to hurt you."

"I bet you said that toallofyour otherqueens, too," I snapped at him. I regretted saying those words the moment they came out of my mouth.

"You're right, I did say that. I made the same promises to Silje, Eliora, Irini, and Jessamine."

"AndAgata," I said.

"And Agata."

"And don't forget about Wenonah."

"And Wenonah. And Duvessaria," he added.

"Oh, andSarice, theone from Switzerland," I remembered.

"Yeah, her too." Plato sighed. "I never realized how many hearts I must have broken."

Tears began to spring up in my eyes. "AmI next?"

"Victoria—"

I flitted away to the pipe before he could finish his sentence. I wish he hadn't followed me, but he did. He was unaware that Mistoffelees was in the pipe as well. I crawled in speedily until I reached the wider parts of the pipe where Mistoffelees was in the middle of his book by now. Luckily, Coricopat and Tantomile had left. I draped a soft, baby blue blanket over myself so Misto wouldn't see my tears.

"Hey, Vicky," Misto greeted, keeping his eyes on his captivating book. "You must be tired."

I was about to respond when Plato entered our den. Misto shut his book, tossed it to the side, and stood up to guard me.

"What do you want?" my brother hissed at the copper tom.

"To see if Victoria's okay," Plato replied, surprisingly calm.

"Why? What did you do to her?" Misto retorted. He began to lift the blanket from my face, and I quickly wiped my tears away, but I wasn't fast enough. Misto had already caught sight of a tear that was rolling down my white face.

"You monster," the tuxedo tom spat at Plato. "You just lost your chances of gaining my trust, as if you had any in the first place."

"But I—"

Mistoffelees punched the auburn tom across the face and pushed him towards the exit. "Get out! Victoria and I never want to see your face again!"

I was too choked up to say anything. Mistoffelees was always a gentle tom. It was rare to see him angry, but when he was, he wouldn't just be mad and sit in a corner—he would start a fight. A physical fight. He had once tussled with Tugger for some reason, and then another time with Tumblebrutus. Fortunately, they have made up and are good friends now. But they were Jellicles, so Misto couldn't be mad for too long. Plato was just about anything _but _a Jellicle.

The auburn tom didn't move. I wasn't sure if he was shocked or if he was standing his ground.

"Get out, now!" Misto screamed. "If you don't leave in the next three seconds I will go right up to Munkustrap and tell him that you hurt Vicky. Go!"

Needless to say, Plato went.

"I don't like seein'youmad, Misto," I told my brother.

"Yeah, I don't like it either. Let's just go to sleep and pretend this whole thing never happened."

I nodded in agreement. Curling myself up into a ball, I was soon fast asleep.

I felt breathing on the back of my neck. Usually it would feel warm, but it was just plain cold this time. Freezing, in fact. Each breath shot tingles up my spine.

"Misto?" I whispered. I turned around but knew better than to scream.

"M-Macavity, you'renot supposed tobe here," I warned him, my voice shaking. The Mystery Cat placed a paw on cheek. It felt like someone was pressing an ice cube against my skin.

"I know. I'm just visiting."

"But Munkustrap is on guard. How did you get—"

"I have my ways. Just go to sleep."

His paw was so cold that my cheek went numb and my teeth began to chatter. I curled up even tighter into a ball against his chest. Maybe that's what he wanted, but at the time I didn't think about it. Macavity's body temperature increased until I was warm again. I tried to turn around, but it was too late. Macavity already had his arm wrapped around me, holding me close. His eyes were closed but I knew he was wide awake. The Hidden Paw never went to sleep. Never. And with him around, neither would I.

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><p><strong>How did I do with the Jellicles' characters? It's the first time the other Jellicles (besides Munkustrap and Alonzo) have come in the story, and I hope I am describing them well. Please tell me how I did! <strong>

**Next chapter may not be up until Friday or Saturday, seeing that I have school and stuff. Thank you for your patience.**

**Thanks for reading! Reviews are highly appreciated :)**

**N.B.: Etcetera and Pouncival are not siblings. Sometimes I like to see that they are, but based on how I am writing Etcetera's character right now, it looks like she has a little crush on Pouncie ;D Tumblebrutus and Pouncival are siblings, and their parents do not live in the junkyard. **


	27. Interrogations

**A/N: Hey! Sorry for the wait. Here's a nice, long, (and, of course, random) chapter for you wonderful readers! I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**To Bombastrap: When I think of Plates, I think of...plates xD haha. Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you are liking the story :)**

**To sarbear2255: Thank you so much for telling me! When I look back, I completely agree with you! Victoria and Mistoffelees's relationship is a bit awkward. I mean, if they are going to be brother and sister, they should be comfortable around each other and be able to talk casually :/ haha. Thank you!**

**To Wombaat: Haha I agree :) The Jellicles can go a bit nuts sometimes, especially the kittens, and sometimes even the adults (when they're stressed out about something). Thank you for reviewing!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS.**

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><p>It was difficult to fall asleep with Macavity breathing down my neck, but I had managed to doze off. Luckily, I didn't wake up screaming like I usually did. In fact, I had not dreamed at all last night. I was slowly recovering from the Schizophrenia.<p>

I whipped myself around and breathed a sigh of relief when Macavity wasn't there. I couldn't remember the exact details of last night, since I was all groggy and tired. The only thing I recalled was that I was freezing. No cat was ever that cold—no cat except Macavity, that is.

Mistoffelees was still sound asleep, his open book sprawled across his face. I tiptoed across the den and slithered out to the clearing. Day two of Macavity staying with the Jellicles. I surely hoped today would turn out better than yesterday.

I was surprised by what I saw: a blanket of snow about three inches thick had piled up on the junk piles and the clearing overnight. The henchcats had started their own snowball-fighting war. The kittens sat on the TSE-1 and pointed at the toms that got hit, laughing. I don't think they knew exactly the dangers of being around these cats. They were young and naïve. All they wanted to do was to have fun, no matter what the cost. But the older Jellicles were uptight and overprotective. Jellylorum hadn't let her queenkit out to watch the fight with her friends. Etcetera and Demeter were the only ones not outside enjoying the weather. I certainly could not imagine Etcetera cooped up in her den for the entire day. It must have been worse for Demeter, though. I hadn't seen her since she found out Macavity was staying with us. I wonder if she knew something we didn't…Could she tell Macavity was lying? Was this all some kind of trick? Were we being deceived? I realized that those were the questions that I had been avoiding, that I really did not want to answer. If Macavity and his henchcats (and maybe even Plato) brought any harm to the Jellicles, it would be all my fault. But I couldn't just assume that—there was always the possibility that Macavity had…changed? It was all just so unlikely. Maybe the ginger cat realized that—

"Victoria," called out the voices of a pair of twins, bringing me back to the real world.

"We are sorry to disturb you—"

"We are really, _really_ sorry—"

"—but we have a question for you."

I whipped my head around to find myself staring back at the mysterious psychic twins. _Oh, great…_

"Hi," I muttered, looking down at the ground.

"May we see you in our den?" Coricopat and Tantomile asked simultaneously.

I sighed quietly. I didn't want to be rude and make up an excuse again. "Um, okay."

The striped cats smiled at me, but it did not quite reach their eyes. I began to panic. Did they know about my disappearance? Their faces were expressionless. There was no way of knowing what they were thinking. You would have to travel deep into their minds to do so, and even then you would get lost in all of that mumbo jumbo going on in their brains. They spun on their heels and winded through the mountains of junk to their den, which might as well have been a secret hiding place, since no one could ever find them when they weren't in the clearing.

In the den, oil lanterns were set on small, wooden tables to keep their home lit up. Stacks of books were everywhere, with titles ranging from _Animal Farm _to _The Odyssey_ to _Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_. Besides the unusual amount of books scattered across the floor, it was pretty much an ordinary den. I placed my palm on the wall, half-expecting it to trigger some kind of entrance to open up and lead to a secret passageway. Nothing happened, of course. I still had my suspicions, though.

"Sit—"

"In the chair—"

"Right over there."

I took a seat on a wooden chair and shifted around uncomfortably, wondering about what they were thinking as they gazed at me with frozen eyes.

"You saidyou…hada question?" I said, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Why, yes," Coricopat answered.

"Yes we do," Tantomile replied as well. "It regards you—"

"—and Macavity."

I gulped. "Whatabout…Macavity and me?"

Tantomile leaned forward in her seat. I leaned farther back. "Victoria, something is wrong."

"Something is very, _very _wrong," Coricopat emphasized.

"You and Macavity…you seem…mentally linked."

I raised an eyebrow at this. "Excuse me?"

"What my sister means is," Coricopat filled in, "that when two cats see each other to such an extent they seem mentally bonded."

"I don't understand," I told the twins. "I don't have magical powers or psychic abilities."

Coricopat laughed. It sounded forced, dead, empty—the laugh of an angry Jellicle-who-knows-something-is-up-and-will-do-anything-to-eat-its-prey. In this case, I was the prey, the bottom of the food chain. My predators were going to pick me apart piece by piece until they got what they wanted.

"And that is why we said it _seems_ like it," Tantomile explained. "You, see, we have been following you—" FOLLOWING ME? "—and noticed that your mind is filled with images of Macavity, his warehouse, and his henchcats. As we speak, I can see in your eyes your entire past."

Whoa, getting a little creepy here. "Wh-what doya mean?"

"We know Macavity catnapped you," Coricopat plainly stated. "We can see your whole life through your eyes. We have searched and studied your mind thoroughly. We are 98.98% sure that for the past month you have been staying with Macavity. Is that true?"

They said themselves that there was a 1.02% chance they were wrong. "I did no such thing. Formyentire life, I have been living right'ere with the Jellicles. Nothing'as changed."

Coricopat raised his eyebrows at me. "Is that so?"

"Is that _really_ so?" his sister repeated.

"Are you denying the fact that you may have any connections with Macavity and his henchcats?" Coricopat interrogated in a serious tone.

"Yes!" I nearly shouted, frustrated with their obstinacy.

Without warning, a snowball hit me right smack-dab in the back of my head. "Gah!" I yelped.

Adolph's head popped into the den. "Oops. Sorry, Vick. Gotta work on my aim." He scurried off to finish off the rest of the henchcats with the hard, compact snow, leaving me with my wet headfur and a smirking pair of twins.

"I prove my point," Coricopat remarked.

"I rest my case," Tantomile uttered.

I shook my head violently to shake the snow off. "So? That doesn'prove anything."

"No henchcat would ever talk to a Jellicle that way," Tanto hissed, losing her calm and collected attitude. Regaining her composure, she said, "We are not sure if we can trust Macavity yet. His mind is too complex for us to be able to intrude."

"You mustn't become acquainted with the Hidden Paw," Coricopat chided. "He is dangerous. Are we clear?"

"A-R-E W-E C-L-E-A-R?" Tanto articulated as if I was dumb kitten being taught a new word.

I scowled at them but nodded my head anyway. I left without a word, and, while walking back to the clearing, I heard them murmur in low voices in their den—about me, I was sure. I was infuriated with the psychics. How could they just invade my mind without me knowing about it? I wasn't going to let them near me ever again. How rude of them to just barge into my mind like that! I felt a bit guilty for thinking about them this way, but they were on to me. I would have to steer clear of them…

Out of nowhere, a paw snatched me and threw me against a junk pile.

"What was going on in there?" Macavity hissed at me.

"Th-they kn-know," I stammered, afraid of his reaction. "C-Cori and Tanto know th-that you k-kitnapped me."

Macavity cursed under his breath and ran his fingers through his greasy headfur.

"Wh-what areyou going to do?" I whispered, trying not to raise his temper.

"The only thing I _can_ do—" The ginger cat extracted his claws so that they were even longer than usual. "—Silence them. We wouldn't want anyone to know about this, would we?" He turned to leave, but I grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"No! Killing cats is never theanswer. Just…jus'try to stayaway from them. And…be nice. Youare with the Jellicles now. Jelliclesaregood cats."

Macavity groaned and retracted his claws half-way. "Fine. But if they tell anyone about this, I won't hold back." He turned to me and cupped my chin with his paw, squeezing it so tightly that I thought my jaw would break. "And you better not tell anyone, either." The Mystery Cat pushed me backward and teleported himself to the clearing.

_Well, then!_ I thought, continuing my stroll to the clearing, since Macavity hadn't bothered to teleport me, too. As I neared the center of the clearing, I could hear Adolph cheering and unofficially declaring himself as the snowball-fighting champion. The sky was grey and gloomy, but the energy from the Jellicles brightened up the bleak day. The snow crunched under my hind paws. I could barely see the difference between the snow and my white fur. My back paws seemed to blend in with the fluffy powder. When I was younger, I used to play a little game with myself on wintery days like this. When the snow was deep, I would hate having my ankles go numb every time I stepped on it and sank down. I would try to walk over the snow with such lightness that I wouldn't sink. It was boring at first, but then I got caught up in it. I pranced on the path to the clearing with as much grace as possible, trying to keep my hind paws from plunging into the frozen, crystalline water. I was so focused on cavorting freely that I leaped right into Misto, toppling us both to the ground.

"What are you doing?" Misto inquired, laughing.

"I really don't know," I responded through giggles. The tuxedo tom got up and handed me a paw, which I graciously accepted.

"So," Misto began, "what do you want to do today?"

"I don't know. Maybe wecould—EEEEEEEEKKKK!" I yelped as I felt a cat "taser" my waist with his fingers from behind. I spun around and saw a tall, grey henchcat clutching his sides and laughing.

"That wasnot funny!" I yelled at him, nearly laughing myself.

Mistoffelees grabbed my arm. "Come on, Victoria. Let's go somewhere private."

We walked away from the chortling henchcat and climbed up, over, and behind the TSE-1.

"They are so boisterous," Misto remarked.

I nodded, sitting down by one of the back tires of the car. I sat in silence for a minute or so. Changing the subject, I asked, "Haveyoulearned anynew magic tricks lately?"

Mistoffelees beamed at me. "As a matter of fact, I did!"

I clapped my paws together and watched my brother with wide eyes. "Showme!"

"Okay, let's see here…" Mistoffelees looked around for an object he could use to perform his trick on. "Ah! Here we go!" He extracted a fork from a junk pile and a linen handkerchief. "Now watch." Misto set the fork on the ground and draped the hanky over it. As he was waving his paw over it, it seemed to glow for a second. The tuxedo cat rubbed his paws together and blew some sparkly-powder-stuff onto the handkerchief. "Aaaaaaand…" He dramatically lifted the cloth with a flourish and closed his eyes while looking up at the sky for effect, his arms spread wide open.

I giggled. "Misto?"

Mistoffelees smirked, feeling quite proud of himself. "Yes?"

"It's still there."

He opened his eyes. "Huh?"

"Thefork. It hasn't moved."

Mistoffelees looked down to see the silverware was still in place. "Uh…I…meant to do that?"

I giggled some more. "Well, ifyou meant todo that, then what was thetrick?"

Misto plopped down next to me. "I don't know, Vick! I must have done this trick a thousand times, and yet it has only worked once, and apparently that one time was when Tumblebrutus walked by and kicked it without me knowing."

I tittered. "You just need topractice! Practice makes perfect, right?"

He sighed. "I guess. Let me try again."

I smiled as he covered the fork again with the hanky. _Come on, Misto…You got this…_

He concentrated hard on the handkerchief and blew twice as much sparkly-powder-stuff onto it than he had before. "One…" he counted.

"Two…" I continued.

And we both shouted, "THREE!" Misto raised the handkerchief off of the fork.

I squealed. "Misto, youdid it!"

"Wow…I guess I did!" he replied, utterly shocked at his power.

"Hm, I wonder where it went," a sly voice said behind me as the silver fork dangled in front of my face.

I huffed. "Macavity, leave us alone."

Mistoffelees jerked me away from the Napoleon of Crime, who was twirling the fork with his fingers with ease.

"Relax," the carroty tom said, rolling his eyes. "I figured I could help you."

"I don't need your help," Misto retorted.

Macavity made the fork vanish into thin air and stepped toward us, causing Misto to take a kitten step backward. "Don't you want to be a master magician? Don't you want to be able to make objects disappear with a snap of your fingers? Don't you want to be able to teleport from one place to another in a split second? Or shoot lightning out from your bare paws?"

Mistoffelees didn't know what to say. I knew he wanted to learn all these things, but to learn them from _Macavity_ was a different thing.

The eldest tom continued speaking. "I can teach you everything you want to know and more, Mistoffelees. No one else in this tribe can do magic—it is just us two. This is your only chance to learn something great."

Mistoffelees looked at me for consent. I nodded my head, and he told Macavity, "Alright. Just a few things, though. And nothing dangerous, please."

Macavity smirked. "Let's get started, then. Why don't we begin with a few disappearing acts." He clapped twice to conjure up a wooden three-legged stool and the blue blanket that was in my den. The ginger cat pointed at me and then at the stool. "Sit."

"What are you going to do?" Mistoffelees growled at the yellow-eyed tom as I sat on the chair.

Macavity snickered. "Calm down. You need to start trusting me a little more." Mistoffelees began to protest, but Macavity cut him off. "Watch."

The carroty tom cloaked me with the blanket and waved his paws over my head. A few seconds later, he glanced at Misto and said, "Ready?"

Mistoffelees gulped, anxious as to what would happen. "Uh…ready."

Macavity lifted the blanket off of me, and I found myself sitting on the sidewalk in front of the half-burnt warehouse. I scrambled up and look around, but I was all alone. Macavity and Misto were still back at the junkyard. I looked up at Macavity's old warehouse. _I wonder why Macavity poofed me here_, I thought. I began to walk towards the building, but before I could take my second step, I was back in the spot behind the TSE-1. I felt slightly dizzy from all this magic and teleporting. Mistoffelees' was astonished. His jaw was hanging down, and Macavity was smirking as always.

"How did you…How did you…" Mistoffelees began, still gawking at me. "How did you do that?"

The Mystery Cat replied, "I'll show you." He motioned for me to sit back on the stool. I felt nervous being Misto's test monkey. He was just an amateur magician, after all. What if he, I don't know, zapped me to another planet by accident?

Macavity gave Mistoffelees some instructions, all of which I did not understand even the slightest bit. Misto seemed to comprehend, though. He looked eager and tense at the same time.

"…Understand?" Macavity finished.

Misto bobbed his head up and down and draped the blanket over me. I heard him murmur in a low voice—it sounded like an incantation. He took a deep breath and whipped the blanket off my head.

I was lying in the middle of the street far from the junkyard. I would have been cheering and jumping with joy for Mistoffelees, had there not been a vehicle coming my way. And it was _dangerously_ close. There was no time to move out of the way. It was a huge 18-wheeler speeding down the street. I would just have to duck, cover, and hope for the best.

The semi-trailer truck was only a few feet away by the time I was zapped back to the junkyard. Macavity noticed the odd position I was in and asked, "Where did you go?"

I looked up and breathed a sigh of relief when I realized I wasn't going to be hit by the truck.

"Inthemiddle of astreet," I responded.

Macavity took a deep breath to calm himself. "Mistoffelees, I told you to say _villa_, not _via_!"

Misto just shrugged. "What's the difference?"

"_Villa_ is Latin for a house. _Via_ means street!" Macavity answered.

Mistoffelees bit his lip. "Oh…uh, sorry. Can I try again?"

I widened my eyes. "Uh, Misto? Why don'tyou tryon something else? Something smaller and…inanimate."

"Good idea," the toms agreed simultaneously. As they began searching for another item to perform tricks with, I felt another cat "taser" me once more.

"EEEEEEKKK!" I screeched again. I tried to wrench away, but the cat's fingers dug deeper into my waist. I eventually collapsed against the cat and looked up to see Adolph cackling.

"Why is everybody doing thattome?" I said, standing up straight on my hind paws.

"'Cuz it's hilarious!" Adolph replied through guffaws. "You should've seen your face!"

Mistoffelees glared at the henchcat. "Who are you?"

"Oh, me? I'm Adolph. Nice to meet you." Adolph stuck out his hand for a shake, and Mistoffelees, being the gentletom he is, took it, but not without hesitation.

"I am Mistoffelees, the brother of the queen you just 'tasered,'" Misto introduced himself.

Adolph blushed a bit and scratched the back of his head. "Hehe…sorry about that."

"Mac's teachin'Mistosome magic!" I told him.

"Magic, eh?" Adolph turned to Misto. "You're magical? I've never met another cat who has powers like Mac."

"I'm still learning," Mistoffelees replied.

"Cool," Adolph commented.

I grinned at them both. I was just glad that Mistoffelees hadn't started a fight with the henchcat.

"Well, nice meetin' 'ya Misto." Adolph tugged on my arm. "C'mon, Vick! Give me a tour of the junkyard!"

He didn't wait for an answer from me. I waved back at Misto as Adolph dragged me to the first den he saw.

"Okay, let the tour begin!" he proclaimed.

"Demeter livesinthis den withher sister Bombalurina," I said.

"Did you say Demeter? And Bombalurina?"

I sighed quietly and looked at Adolph. "You remember them?"

"Yeah, when they were staying with Macavity. They weren't treated very nicely. Especially Demeter. Do you think I could go see them?"

"I don't think Demeter is readytoseeanyof Macavity's henchcatsyet," I responded. We walked over to the next den. "I am guessing you remember Mungojerrieand Rumpleteazer, too?"

"Yeah. They used to be Mac's favorites. Until they ran away, that is."

"Wantto visit?"

Adolph chuckled. "Sure. I wonder if they remember me."

We stepped inside and found the notorious duo sitting at the table with their feet propped up on chairs and sipping coffee from some (possibly stolen) mugs. They had all kinds of valuable furniture around their den. Necklaces with expensive gems hung from the top of a (stolen) lamp. Many other (stolen) valuables were strewn across the floor. I carefully stepped over a diamond-encrusted watch when entering their den.

"'Ello, whot's dis?" Rumpleteazer said, setting down her mug and getting up. She stared at Adolph. "'Ey, Jerr."

"Yea, Teaz?" Mungojerrie replied, getting up and standing by his partner-in-crime.

"You remembah dis one?" Rumpleteazer asked his brother.

Jerrie scanned over the henchcat. "Adolph, roight?" The henchcat nodded. "Yea, I remembah 'ya. You were quite the rascal."

Adolph grinned. "But we had some fun times, right?"

"Not realleh, no," Teazer answered.

Chirp. Chirp. Chirp. "Well, it was nice seeing you again!" Adolph exclaimed, yanking me to the exit.

"Okay, who's next?" he asked.

I walked over to the oven and stove with the enormous hole in the back to make more room to create a den. "Pouncival and Tumblebrutus stay here. Theyarebrothers."

"Can I see them?" Adolph inquired.

"They are probably outinthe clearing. They are prettygood acrobats."

"They sound cool."

I stifled a laugh. "Whateveryou say." I strolled over to the pipe. "And Mistoan'I stay here."

Adolph crouched and looked inside, which was pitch black. "Looks small."

"It's bigger intheinside," I explained. "Oh, and I almost forgot." I pointed at the space between the pipe and the stove. "Thisis where Cassandra lives with her sister Exotica. But I guess…"

Adolph put a paw on my shoulder when he noticed tears were welling up in my eyes. I blinked a few times and tried to keep them from spilling out. "I'mokay." We ambled toward the next den, which was actually situated on top of the pipe. "Here we have Munkustrap and his brother the Rum Tum Tugger."

"Mac's brothers, right?"

"Yep. And over here," I continued, "is Etcetera, Asparagus, and Jellylorum's den. Etcy'sgrandfather, Gus, stayswith them, too." Their den was situated on some wooden planks over an empty space in the junk that had many paths leading to other mountains of junk, mini clearings, and Cori and Tanto's den. "I wouldn't go in there, though. It takes a while to gain Jellylorum's trust." I pointed to the den next to it. "And that is where Alonzo and Admetus stay…or _stayed_." I took a deep breath and continued. "And if you climb through those pipes, you'll arrive at the den of one of the biggest families."

"Who lives there?" Adolph questioned.

"None of them are related," I answered. "Jemima and Electra are best friends. And then Skimbleshanks and Jennyanydots are their adoptive parents."

"May I visit them?"

"Let's just hope Jemima isn't scared of you!" I teased while stepping through the large, metal pipes. Once we made our way through the vines of pipes, we saw Jemima and Electra sitting on a mat on the ground, eating lunch and unsupervised.

"Hey, where are your parents?" I asked them.

"Oh, Jenny is saying goodbye to Skimbleshanks before he departs on the Night Mail to Glasgow," Electra responded. "Skimble will be gone for a couple days, and Jenny will be back at midnight."

I turned to Adolph. "Adolph, these are my friends Jemima and Electra."

Adolph was unresponsive. Jemima blushed. I think he was gazing at her.

"Hi," Jemima squeaked, and then quickly turned away and looked down at her food.

Adolph boldly said, "Vicky says you're scared of me. Is that true?"

Jemima shot her head up and stared at me. "Vicky!"

"I was joking!" I defended myself. "I mean, youarenot actually scared of him, are you?"

"Well…" She blushed even more. "Jenny and Skimble always say that Macavity and his henchcats are evil."

Adolph squatted down next to Jemima. "I hate to break it to you…but your parents are right."

"Adolph!" I yelled at him.

"What? I'm only telling the truth!"

I have never seen Jemima's eyes so wide in my life.

"He's kidding, Jem," I assured her.

"No I'm not."

I gave him the death glare, but that didn't stop him from rambling on.

"The only problem with being a henchcat is being hated by everyone. Who could blame them? When my father found out I was working for Macavity back when I was twelve, he totally walked out on me. I mean, he didn't want to be seen with me. He is a model, after all. It would ruin his reputation."

"A model?" Electra repeated.

"Yeah! Where do you think I got my good looks from?"

Jemima giggled. Adolph reached over, snatched a mouse from Jemima's plate, and began snacking on it.

"Adolph!" I yelled at him again.

"What?" he said through a mouthful of a chewed-up mouse.

"You can't just steal aqueen's lunch!" I scolded. "At leastask first."

Jemima giggled again. "It's okay, Vicky. I'm full, anyway." She pushed the plate to Adolph, who greedily accepted it.

Adolph swallowed the last bit. "So, what do you kittens do in your free time?"

"We usually just play," Electra responded. "We especially love to dance and sing. Vicky's especially good at dancing, and Jem here has the voice of an angel."

Adolph looked impressed. "Really?"

It was so obvious Adolph was smitten with the young, wide-eyed kitten. I elbowed him and said, "She also juggles."

Jemima's cheeks were now a deep, crimson red. "Vicky! You know that's my secret hobby!"

"That's awesome!" Adolph exclaimed. "Can you teach me?"

Jemima raised an eyebrow. No one had ever asked her that before. Every time she had told someone that she could juggle, they would all laugh and tease her. "You really want to know how to juggle?"

"Uh, YEAH!" Adolph pulled her up on her hind paws and dragged her to the clearing. She looked back at us over her shoulder with a confused yet happy face.

"Looks like she got over her fear of henchcats pretty quickly," Electra remarked. I nodded in agreement.

"Are you readyforthe Jellicle Ball?" I asked.

"I'm kind of nervous," Electra admitted. "I don't think I'm ready to mate with someone."

"You'll find a tom," I guaranteed her. Standing up and brushing the dirt from my fur, I added, "Don't forget that Misto's free." I winked at her.

Electra scrunched up her nose. "Vicky! I…I don't know yet. I barely know him."

"You two should talk. Maybe you'll find some things you have in common."

I turned to leave when Electra called to me.

"Vicky, wait!"

I pivoted and faced her.

"Do you think that maybe we will be having two less Jellicles at the ball this year?"

I cocked my head. "Why do you say that?"

"Exotica and Admetus. We haven't heard from them in a while. Where do you think they could be?"

I didn't want to lie to one of my best friends, but I just couldn't tell her the truth, either. "Did they tell you where they were going?"

Electra shook her head. "No. They just disappeared. Not even Cassandra knows why. Or Alonzo, Admetus' denmate. I'm worried about them."

"Me too," I responded. "I'll ask some of the other Jellicles. See you later." I exited the den with a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I saw the two Jellicles die with my very own eyes. And if I told anyone that Macavity had killed them, the Jellicles would never make peace with the Napoleon of Crime. I walked back to the mini clearing behind the TSE-1.

I needed Macavity's advice.

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><p><strong>What do you think? Are the Jellicles going to find out what happend to Admetus and Exotica, and who murdered them? Next chapter may not be posted until Saturday, so I'm sorry in advance. Stay tuned for more!<strong>

**Thanks to all of my reviewers, followers, and favoriters! You make my day :)**

**Please review and thanks for reading!**


	28. Headaches

**A/N: Surprise, surprise, another random chapter. I'm sorry for the lack of details in this chapter (I have no idea how it turned so long, though.) Sometimes I get a little **_**too**_** excited, and I just rush through the entire chapter. Plus, is it weird to say that this chapter actually made me cry...? That's just me. Fanfictions make me really emotional :) Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS. It belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, and the RUG :D**

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><p>I was on my way over to the back of the TSE-1 when I heard a huge blasting sound followed by a cloud of smoke. I picked up my pace and jumped up, over, and behind the junkyard car.<p>

"Misto?" I shouted, shielding my eyes from the smoke.

A cat coughed, and then shouted, "Whoa! Did you see that?"

I waved the smoke away and saw Mistoffelees standing near a small pile of junk that was now disintegrated.

"Victoria, did you see that?" The tuxedo tom bounded up to me and pointed at the pile of ash. "Macavity taught me to shoot lightning out of my paws!"

"That'sgreat, Misto!" I exclaimed.

Macavity stepped out of the smoke with soot spots on his body. "I think that's enough magic for today."

Mistoffelees coughed some more before responding. "I agree. I have learned more about magic today than I had in two years!" He looked up at the sky. "It is already dusk. I'll be at our den, Vicky." Misto waved goodbye to me and managed to give Macavity a small smile.

"Howis he?" I asked the ginger cat.

"He is doing well," Macavity answered while brushing the ash from his fur. "He learns quickly."

I smiled and sat down, leaning my back against the car. Looking up at the sky, I made out some of the constellations Macavity had pointed out to me before.

"You came here for a reason."

I looked down from the stars to face Macavity. I was slightly afraid of his reaction to what I was about to say.

"Exotica and Admetus," I replied. "Everybody knows theyare missing. We can't tell them thetruth. Whatarewe going to do?"

"Easy," he responded. "I will create exact clones of their bodies and throw them in the middle of the street. Somebody finds them and assumes that they were run over."

I was aghast. Macavity's idea was sickening, but what other choice did we have? I looked down at my lap to hide my tears from him. "O-Okay. If that is allwecan do."

Macavity tilted my chin up, forcing me to look at his fierce, yellow eyes. Thinking that he was going to comfort me, I smiled a little at him. Instead, he said, "You will get over it," and walked back to the other henchcats. I stayed in my position for a while, mouth agape. After all, he _was_ the one who had killed my Jellicle friends, and yet all he could tell me to do was to get over it? He had no sympathy for me whatsoever. I huffed angrily and stormed to my den. I gave the Napoleon of Crime a chance to prove himself to the Jellicles, but it was as if he wasn't grateful for anything I had done for him. It's funny, really, because he has said the same thing to me.

Crawling through the pipe, I began to worry about the safety of the other Jellicles. The clever and crafty cat was never up to any good. Luckily, he hadn't caused any trouble yet. The carroty tom was just waiting to gain all their trust. But…once he did that…was that when he would strike? I shook the thought out of my head and curled up under my blanket, which Mistoffelees had returned to our den. My brother was already sound asleep, probably exhausted from all his training. I curled myself tighter into a ball and drifted in a deep slumber.

I woke up. He was there. He was breathing down my neck again. He was as cold as winter, once again forcing me to snuggle with him. I closed my eyes. He wasn't going to keep me from getting my sleep.

A few hours later, I was awake again. He was still there. His eyes were open this time. He was gazing at me. I pretended not to notice.

Two hours later. I had fallen asleep, but I couldn't keep it up with _him_ around. Apparently, I was singing in my sleep, just like I had once done back at the warehouse. I knew because my eyes flung open in the middle of a note. Macavity was smirking. What was new?

One hour later. I was sleeping peacefully for once until Macavity shook me awake. Before I could say or do anything, he teleported both of us to a small clearing in the far end of the junkyard. My eyes were half-closed, and I was not in the mood to go on some sort of "adventure." One of Macavity's paws was balled up into a fist. _Oh, Everlasting Cat, what have I done wrong? _I braced myself for the first punch.

But Macavity didn't beat me. Instead, he shoved his paw in front of my face. He shook his fist at me, as if urging me to open it up and look inside. I delicately straightened out his fingers, and in the palm of his paw was a stunning collar as pink as a rose and embellished with real diamonds. Each gemstone imitated the bright stars in the sky, and as Macavity wrapped the collar around my neck, I felt as if I had joined those brilliant stars in the galaxy. Macavity buckled it at the back and turned me around to face him.

I could barely speak. "Y-You madethis forme?"

"Do you like it?" Macavity asked.

"I-I…" I ran my fingers over each diamond. "It's beautiful." I widened my eyes as paranoia took over. "This doesn't have a tracking device on it, does it?"

The Hidden Paw chuckled. "Of course not. It is just a little gift from me to you."

"That isso thoughtful ofyou." I hugged him tight, not because he made me, but because I wanted to.

Macavity ruffled my headfur and stepped back. "I need to go. Sleep well." He snapped his fingers and was gone in an instant.

"My father made that for you?"

I spun around and caught sight of Plato hopping down from a junk pile. Seeing him reminded me of the conversation we had earlier, which ended with me running away in tears and Plato being smacked harshly by my brother. I turned my back on him and touched the collar with my paw again. I felt ashamed for being so sensitive earlier. I needed to show that I trusted Plato, but the more I knew about him, the more difficult it was becoming to do so. I nodded and faintly whispered, "Yes, he did."

I heard his heavy footsteps behind me come my way. To my surprise, I flinched at the sound of the snow crunching beneath his hind paws, not because the noise bothered me, but because it meant Plato was getting closer and closer.

"Get away from me," I hissed.

Unfortunately, that did not stop him. Plato lunged at me, wrapped one arm around my waist, and slapped his paw over my mouth. I kicked at him and tried stepping on his hind paws, but that didn't affect him at all. _What did I tell you? He's nothing but trouble. Run, run, run!_

I stopped struggling for a second when I heard the voice creep inside my head. I thought that voice had finally left me alone, but it has made its way back into my mind. My dictator was back—back for revenge on everybody in my life. It was back to convince me that everyone was evil and wicked. It was back to tell me what was right and what was wrong, which were decisions that were hard for me to make for myself.

Plato, still covering my mouth and keeping me from fleeing, whispered hotly into my ear, "I am sorry for all I have done. I am sorry I kicked you. I am sorry I drowned you. I am sorry I made it hard for you to trust me."

Although Plato was apologizing, his tone of voice did not match the words he was saying. _Liar. Liar. Liar. Liar._ I let out a muffled scream but was cut short when Plato dug his claws into my waist.

"Shut up first and then I'll let you go," he snapped at me.

_He did NOT just say that! He thinks that you're just a weak, little queen who is incapable of standing up for herself. But you are so much more than that, Victoria. You have power in you that you are never able to show to the world. Show it to him now._

I shushed myself and waited for him to release me. Right when he let go, I swung my arm at his face and made contact with the side of his head. Plato growled and slapped me hard, causing me to collapse onto the ground. I whimpered loud enough for him to hear, but the rust-colored tom left me sprawled on the ground. Plato walked away, just like that. _Oh, I bet he feels REAL good about striking a queen like that_, the voice remarked. I nodded weakly to myself in agreement.

About an hour later, I finally picked myself up from the ground, brushed the snow off my fur, and dragged myself back to my den. At the main clearing, Alonzo was supposed to be on night-patrol, but he had instead fallen asleep on a wooden chair. Plato and Macavity were both settled in with the other henchcats. I stomped over to the auburn tom and kicked his stomach. When he was unresponsive, I huffed and began to storm off, but Plato had stretched his leg out last minute, causing me to trip and fall on top of the surrounding henchcats. The henchcats I had accidentally woken up, one of them being Cezar, grumbled quietly to themselves, still half-asleep, and rolled in opposite directions, causing me to drop to the open space they had created between themselves. Before dozing off for the last time that night, I was so sure I heard Plato snickering to himself.

_I sit still in the pitch-black room, crying. I can't see a thing. My constant sobbing blocks out the sound of footsteps in the room. I lift my head from my paws and see two brown orbs floating in front of me in the darkness. It takes me a while to realize that the floating orbs are actually a pair of eyes. The lights turn on, and I see Plato standing before me, holding a pistol and aiming it at my forehead. I hear a bang and pain shoots through my body. I'm on the ground, wishing I was dead to end my suffering. For some reason, Alonzo is now in Plato's place. He is leaning over me and asking me if I'm okay. Reality strikes—in the real world, I am back in the junkyard. Alonzo is on patrol, and I'm not in my den. On the count of three, I'll open my eyes. One, two, thr—_

I forced my eyes open and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Alonzo was still in a deep slumber. Dawn was approaching fast. The sky was the color of a pale rose and eventually transitioned into a light blue. I scrambled up and carefully stepped over the sleeping henchcats to make my way to the pipe. Once in my den, I draped my blanket over my body and pretended as if I had never left the pipe. Moments later, Mistoffelees yawned and sat up, stretching out his limbs. I figured this was my cue to "wake up" as well.

"Good morning, Misto," I said, lacing some drowsiness into my voice to make it seem as if I had just woken up. "Did you sleep well last night?"

Misto smiled and scratched his ear. "You seem to be talking like your normal self again. I'm glad, because I was starting to worry about your speech."

_Your speech impairment may be gone, but I have not yet left_, the voice reminded me. "Me, too," I replied. "Now, why don't we go catch some—"

"What is that?" Mistoffelees interrupted me while leaning forward and touching my neck.

I darted my eyes from side to side, pretending not to know what he was pointing to. "What is what?"

"That—the collar around your neck. Did you find a new owner?"

"Huh? Oh! Yes, yes I did. A rich, old couple near the junkyard took me in and gave me a collar, but I thought that I would…um…miss my friends and family…so I decided to leave them."

Mistoffelees grinned, showing me that he bought the story. "Good. The junkyard would be so boring without you, Vicky!"

I giggled. "The same would happen if you left, Misto. I would miss your magic!"

"Speaking of magic, I have to show you the new tricks that I learned yesterday!" Misto insisted. "Let's go behind the TSE-1."

Before I could respond, Misto pulled me up and led me to the junkyard's only car. _Don't follow him, don't follow him,_ the voice echoed inside my head. I tried to block it out, but it continued to protest. I knew I wouldn't be able to go through the day like this. Misto would be suspicious of me if I was trying to get away from him for no reason. I had to find a way out of this. Slowing down my pace, I dramatically laid a feeble paw across my forehead.

"Oh, Misto," I called to him in a fake, weak voice. "I don't feel so well. I really would want to watch you, but I think I am going to head over to Jenny's, if that is alright with you."

Misto dropped his smile. "Oh, um, okay. Would you like me to take you there?"

_No! No! NO!_ the voice screamed in my mind. My head became clouded with its voice and cruel comments. Soon, I couldn't even walk in a straight line, and my head felt like it was going to burst any second.

"No, I'm okay," I managed to respond.

Mistoffelees was definitely suspicious by now. "I-I'll check up on you later. Feel better."

"Thanks," I hollered back over my shoulder as I stumbled into Jennyanydots and Jellylorum's infirmary. The orange tabby cat quickly rushed over to me when she noticed I was about to faint and had me recline on a bed.

"What's wrong, Victoria?" Jenny inquired.

"I-I'm just a bit dizzy, and I have a headache," I replied, completely honest. I didn't think I would actually be feeling this way when I told Misto that I was sick, but then the voice in my head was going from a hiss to a shout, and it really was making my head throb. My vision began to blur, and I squeezed Jenny's paw to make sure that this wasn't all just another dream. The line between dreams and reality was thinning nowadays, and it was difficult for me to see the difference.

"Can I just rest here for a little while?" I asked, even though I was going to take a catnap regardless of her answer.

"Sure, sure. Tell me how you feel when you wake up, okay?" Jenny rested her paw on my forehead and tsked before pushing aside the curtain of another room in the infirmary. I didn't really want to fall asleep—I was too afraid I was going to wake up screaming or crying. I merely closed my eyes and listened attentively to the noises around me. In the clinic, Jenny was bustling about from room to room, carrying numerous amounts of bottles and containers in her arms and setting them down on counters or in cabinets.

A couple hours later, I was still too weak to get up. Without warning, one hundred-fifty toms barged into the clinic, calling my name. They were immediately stopped by Jenny and Jelly.

"I'm sorry toms, but you all need to go. Victoria isn't feeling very well, and I am sure she would very much appreciate it if you all left her alone," Jenny announced calmly yet firmly.

"Aw, come on!" Adolph protested. "We all love Vick, and we want to know if she's okay!"

"I didn't realize Victoria was so social," Jellylorum muttered to Jenny.

"Me neither," Jenny whispered back. "She was always a shy kitten." Jenny cleared her throat to shush the henchcats from their constant chatter. "If you wish to see Victoria, fine, but make it quick and make it quiet. She has a severe headache and does not need rowdy ex-criminals to aggravate it."

As the avalanche of henchcats flooded into the room I was staying in, I closed my eyes and breathed rhythmically, trying to act as if I was asleep.

One henchcat shouted, "Hey, Victoria!" but was quickly hushed by another. A small smile played on my lips, and I stifled a giggle. One by one, each henchcat stood by my bed and kissed my paw or forehead gently, wishing me better health. Watching from the opposite wall, Jennyanydots murmured, "How sweet!" Jellylorum snorted to herself, which was very unqueenlike for her. When Adolph came by and began to poke me playfully in an annoying manner, Jellylorum quickly escorted him out of the room, obviously irritated with his obnoxiousness.

Eventually, all the henchcats had filed out of the clinic but Plato. I could tell it was him by his heavy footsteps and nervous breathing.

Jellylorum was nervous as well. She finally spoke up. "I am just _barely_ okay with Macavity's henchcats coming to see Victoria, but having his tomson see her is crossing the line. I want you out. You heard Munkustrap—you can't go near the kittens. Out."

I didn't want Plato to leave. I wanted him to stay and say that he was sorry for treating me so nastily. I wanted to ask for his forgiveness, too. I had never apologized for giving him a blow to the head or for puncturing him with a knife a while back. But for now, I had to play the role of the sleeping kitten, unaware of whom and what is going on around her. I slowly inched my paw across the bed to grab his. Unbeknownst to the adult queens, Plato slipped a crumpled piece of paper into my paw and left without a word. Once he had left the den, Jellylorum mumbled under a breath, "Finally," and she left the room to continue with her work. Jenny sat on a stool in the corner and focused on crocheting a muffler. I silently rolled to the side and opened up the note Plato had given me. It read:

_Dear Victoria,_

_I know you are suffering a relapse of Schizophrenia, and I know that it is because of me. I shouldn't have slapped you yesterday. I will never forgive myself, and I wouldn't expect you to forgive me, either._

_I don't want to bring any more harm to you. I can't control my temper, and I don't want you to try to deal with my problems. Heck, Macavity deserves you more than I do, and that's saying something._

_Thinking back, I can hardly believe everything you went through ever since you were captured by Macavity. I have never met someone as strong as you, Victoria. It amazes me, really. You are just…incredible._

_Hey Victoria! :)_

_Sorry, I looked up from this letter for about five seconds and in that time Adolph had already written something on it. _

_I should probably be wrapping this letter up. I could write about you all day, but I don't have the time. _

_I'm leaving, Victoria. I can't stand to see you so hurt. Please don't say goodbye—it will only make it worse._

_I don't want to go, but it is the right thing to do. I'll tell my father to treat you well ;) Hopefully, he has changed for the better._

_I will be gone in the morning. I am begging you not to say farewell, so please, don't._

_I really love you, Victoria. Words cannot describe how much I do. You mean everything to me. Hate me if you must, but please do not forget the Mystery Cat's tomson._

_Believe it or not, but tears are welling up in my eyes right now. Yeah, that's right—Macavity's strongest henchcat is crying. Only you could make me feel such emotions._

_Before I leave, I hope you believe me when I say that you are different from all of "my queens." You just…are. That's probably not very convincing, but please believe me._

_I don't think this letter will ever end. I don't want it to end, because these are my final words to you. I don't want to make this painful and drag it on and on…so…just…bye._

_Okay, I can't end it like that. Victoria…just…I'll miss you. A lot. This letter is sort of last minute, but I had to let you know that I was leaving. I don't know where I will go. Maybe I'll find a human to take me in._

_Please do not search for me once I am gone. I hope you feel better. I really do._

_No matter how badly I have treated you, remember that I have always and will always love you. I think the same goes for my dad :p_

_Take care._

_Plato aka Macavity's tomson_

I read it again. And again. And again. Anger took over me. Why couldn't Plato see that he would be making everything worse if he left? I tried not to worry about it, because I would make him change his mind no matter what. He could slap me all he wanted, but no friend of mine was departing from my life forever. I completely disregarded all of his pleadings in the letter. Plato was leaving to make me happy, but it wouldn't—it would just make me miserable. I needed to slap some sense into that tom. I didn't spill a single tear; I was so sure I would be able to convince Plato to stay. I even managed to smile a bit before taking a quick catnap.

I awoke to the sound of light footsteps in the room. The nap had cleared my head, so I was strong enough to sit up in the bed. Jennyanydots was guiding Mistoffelees to the room I was resting in. I leaned against the wall of the den and gave him a little wave as he stepped through the curtain.

"How are you feeling, Vicky?" Mistoffelees asked thoughtfully.

"Much better," I replied. "I think I am strong enough to get up now."

"Here, let me help." The tuxedo tom took my paw to help me up, but he froze when the paper in my paw crinkled.

"What was that?" he asked, his eyes looking directly at my paw in his paw.

"What? You mean this?" I spread my fingers out to reveal the wrinkled notebook paper, but I was careful as to not show what was written on it. "Nothing. It is just junk."

That was highly believable, seeing that we were completely surrounded by useless yet entertaining junk. Misto dismissed it and gently pulled me up. I stood with more strength than I had ever had before.

"You missed breakfast…and lunch…so why don't we go catch some dinner!" Mistoffelees proposed.

With perfect timing, my stomach growled. "That sounds good."

We both laughed and headed out of the clinic after thanking Jelly and Jenny for their assistance. We snuck past the henchcats and down another pathway that would eventually lead to Cori and Tanto's den. Misto caught sight of two mice scuttling by and swiftly slaughtered them.

"Thanks," I said to him and graciously accepted the furry rodent. After munching on our light dinner, Misto nervously fiddled with his tail.

"Hey, Vicky, can you do me a favor?" he asked politely.

"Of course, Misto," I responded. "What is it?"

He dropped his tail and gazed at me with sparkling brown eyes. "Do you think you could ask Macavity to teach me some new tricks? He has taught me a lot already, but maybe he could teach me more…?"

"I'll go ask him right now!" I replied, grinning at my brother. "Wait here."

I dashed back to the clearing and immediately caught the attention of all the henchcats. A cheer began to erupt until I placed a finger at my lips to indicate silence. I didn't want all the attention drawn to me by the Macavity's comrades, and fortunately, they received the message and quieted themselves. I spotted Macavity speaking to Ozzie, who was the newest addition to Mac's army. The new henchcat was constantly saluting his boss for no apparent reason. To my right, Munkustrap was patrolling the area with Alonzo, who still looked rather sleepy. The black and white tom had patrolled for a few days straight, so it wasn't unusual for him to be so tired. I crept over to Macavity and tapped his shoulder.

"Mac, Misto wants to learn some more magic," I explained to him. "Would you mind teaching him a few things?"

Macavity gestured for Ozzie to leave, and, with one final, grand salute, the new henchcat marched off.

"I wouldn't mind at all," Macavity answered. "I am always happy to pass on what I know to others."

I beamed at him. "Great! He is somewhere along that path over there." I pointed to up at the entrance to the path, and the ginger tom followed my finger to it.

Now that everyone was occupied, I thought it was the perfect time to talk to Plato. Finding him would not be easy, though. I meandered through the junk piles to where I had first found him. It didn't surprise me when I didn't see him there, either. Once an hour had past, I became so frustrated that I pulled out some of my headfur. Dancing had always relieved my stress, so I tried some moves. I was a little rusty since I hadn't danced in a while, but I did my best. I lifted my leg up in an arabesque and quickly swung into an illusion turn. I flung myself into the air and did a few leaps and toe touches. While practicing my double and triple pirouettes, I heard the sound of snow being crushed behind me.

I whipped myself around, and my heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw those coffee-brown eyes right in front of me.

"I'll miss your dancing," Plato remarked, brushing the headfur out of my eyes.

"You won't have to if you just stayed," I told him.

"I thought you would try to talk me out of it. I should just leave now."

"No, Plato, don't! I don't want you to leave!" I cried as he began to turn around.

"I'm sorry." In one second he had already jumped over the fence and sprinted across the street until he could no longer be seen.

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><p><strong>So yeah, out of all the cats in the world, MACAVITY was the one who gave her the collar.<strong>

**Weird...I wasn't planning on Plato fleeing, but...he just did. Due to all the rushing, I'll clear some things up for you:**

**1. Victoria's Schizophrenia comes back when something startles her or makes her feel an extreme emotion. Her speech has improved as well (Microsoft Word was giving me a hard time with the spelling issues haha)**

**2. "The Voice" is back in her head. She didn't want to hang around with Misto with the voice controlling her because then Misto would be able to tell that Victoria is not acting like her normal self. Knowing that that would happen, Victoria pretended that she was sick as an excuse for her to not watch Misto do magic, but then the voices started annoying her and she really **_**did**_** get sick.**

**3. Have you ever had a dream where you knew it was a dream, and you could control everything you did? Okay...maybe not, but I know I have. So basically, that was how Victoria was dreaming.**

**Sorry for all the confusion. And for the blabbing :/ Next chapter may be up in 2-3 days. Stay tuned!**

**Remember that I love critique. Haha and thank you sarbear2255 for your love of Adolph. Thanks to all of my other reviewers, followers, and favoriters, too!**

**Thanks for reading and please review!**


	29. Love Can Build a Bridge

**A/N: OMEC I'M SO SORRY FOR MY LATE UPDATE! And to top things off, this chapter is kind of rushed...or a lotta rushed. And random. But what chapter is not random in this story?**

**Honestly, I would not be surprised if any part in this chapter confused you. Sorry about that. I hope you like this long and random chapter!**

**Remember WAY back in chapter 20 when Macavity...did away with Exotica and Admetus? Now we're going to find out what he has done with them...**

**I didn't mean to add another song in this story, but it seems that every time I come across a song I like, I just have to add it in :p I promise I won't do that again...in this story ;)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own CATS. I also did not say the quote Old Deuteronomy says (it's in italics) and I do not own the song "Love Can Build a Bridge" by The Judds.**

* * *

><p>I clung onto the fence and watched him leave. There was nothing I could do now but to cry, and I did. I stood staring at the street in front of me, hoping that this was all some kind of joke and that Plato would be running back to me. I waited until the sun had set. He was gone. He was really, truly gone. I could barely believe it. It felt so…empty without him. Everything seemed gloomy and dreary. I dragged myself back to the pipe. Everyone was getting ready for bed. I dried my face from my tears and struggled to sleep that night. Misto came back late from his training with Macavity. He must have thought I was sleeping, because he didn't dare disturb me. Eventually, I was able to doze off, but only with hopes that I would wake up to see Plato staring back at me.<p>

I woke up when I had felt something make contact with my face. Macavity was rubbing the tears off my cheeks. It was dark, and I could barely make out the outline of his face, but I knew it was him from his icy touch.

"Hey," he greeted me. "Why are you crying?"

I whispered back, "H-He's gone. Plato ran away. He ran away for me…" Sobs racked my body, and Macavity hushed me so that I wouldn't wake Misto up. He pressed my face against his knotted fur and let me cry. I stained his carroty fur with my tears and began to hiccup as well.

"I know," Macavity responded, running his fingers over the collar he had made for me. "Plato told me. He said he was leaving."

"Why didn't you—" Hiccup. "—didn't you—" Hiccup. "Why didn't you stop him?" I said in one breath before hiccupping again.

"Because he is old enough to make his own decisions now," Macavity explained.

I waited until I had ceased my hiccups and resorted to sniffling.

"I-I want to find him," I announced with enough strength in my voice to show Macavity that I was being serious.

"Plato would not want that," Macavity reminded me. "He wants you to stay."

I weakly punched the Hidden Paw's stomach. "I don't care! Plato thought that everything would be better if he left, but it won't be! Why does he think that I wouldn't want him here?"

"Plato is a complex cat," Macavity stated. "He hurts his loved ones without meaning to. He didn't want you to put up with it. He needs some time to figure himself out."

I shook my head from side to side, ignoring just about everything he had said. "I want to go look for him. He is making a mistake."

"Why would you want him back?" the yellow-eyed tom hissed at me. "So he can beat you again? Is that what you want?"

His harsh tone made me sob even louder. "No, I just…I just want him back!" I wept uncontrollably into his shoulder. "Won't you help me find him?"

"What do you think?" Macavity replied, resting me back down onto my blanket.

"I think you are horrible for not caring about your tomson," I retorted.

"Victoria?" Mistoffelees murmured. He stirred a bit before jolting upwards. "Victoria? Are you okay? Did you say something?" The tuxedo cat rubbed his eyes and waited for a response. Fortunately, Macavity had zapped himself back to the clearing before Mistoffelees awakened.

"Oh, sorry. I must have been sleep-talking," I lied.

"Or sleep-singing," Misto corrected with a small smile. I began blushing deeply, knowing that I have a tendency of doing that.

"'Night, Misto."

"Goodnight, Vicky."

_I stand hugging the streetlamp on the sidewalk as the cars and trucks thunder past me. I'm afraid that if I let go, I'll stumble onto the treacherous path of the vehicles. In front of me I see a red and white blob scurrying across the street, trying to avoid the cars at all costs. A large truck honks, but Plato doesn't notice it. I can't peel my eyes away from the scene before me. Plato turns and sees the demon coming his way and only has time to shield his face before the truck slams into him head-on. I gasp in horror as once I see his splattered body lying motionless on the ground. I take small steps towards Plato, but I can't stare at him for long. He is a gruesome mass of blood. His arm is distorted and his elbow has popped out. One knee is caved in and sticking out in the opposite direction. One eye socket is hollow while the other has an eye hanging out of it. I cringe and ultimately scamper back to the streetlamp. Plato doesn't look like Plato anymore. I can't even recognize him. More cars zip by and amputate his limbs as they run over him. I turn to take one last look of him, but all that is left are his insides scattered across the street. I feel the breath has been sucked out of me, and I can no longer take in air. How could the humans take the life of a cat so easily? Plato suffered a terrible fate. I am too choked up to even cry. "Plato no longer exists" is the only thought running through my head. I try to imagine life without him. I can't. Stepping onto the middle of the street, I spread my arms out and close my eyes, waiting for impact that will end my life almost instantly._

My scream into reality was stifled by Macavity's paw. My forehead was sweating like crazy, and I felt like I couldn't breathe. I pounded my fists against the ground and kicked my legs at him. Macavity waited until I had calmed down before removing his paw from my mouth. Then, in one swift motion, I stood up, dashed out of the den, ran to the very edge of the junkyard, and entangled my fingers with the chain-link fence. I let out my breath when I realized Plato wasn't in the middle of the street—but that didn't convince me that what Plato had experienced was only in my head. Macavity finally caught up to me. Alonzo was on patrol again, and he didn't even stir when Macavity and I had run through the clearing. I wondered what Munkustrap was doing this entire time. He should definitely give Alonzo break. Not only would it benefit his health, but it would probably be safer for the Jellicles as well. Who knew what the henchcats were doing every night while Alonzo was busy snoozing on the job?

Staring out into the distance, I touched my diamond-studded collar and let a tear drop from my eye. For some reason, the collar reminded me more of Plato than Macavity. Maybe I still couldn't believe that Macavity had given me the dazzling accessory. It seemed more like something his tomson would do rather than him. Or perhaps I was trying to deny the fact that the Napoleon of Crime had given this to me. Maybe I was trying to only see the evil in him. Should I try seeing the good in him instead…?

Macavity traced each diamond on my collar with his finger. I think he was proud of himself for making such a lovely ornament for me. I bet he was as surprised as I was that he meant it as a gift for someone other than himself.

"Go away, Macavity," I spat angrily at him. Normally, I wouldn't have dared to say those words, but I wasn't controlling myself right now—the voice in my head was.

"I don't need you," I hissed.

"Why the sudden change in tone, Victoria?" Macavity asked. Even though my back was to him, there was no doubt in my mind that he was smirking.

I gritted my teeth and kicked the fence, causing it to rattle noisily. "Because Plato died! He was brutally killed by a stupid truck! But I bet you don't even care."

"You are right—I don't care," Macavity replied, "because you and I both know you are lying."

I spun around and swung my arm at him. He stepped backwards without delay, making me miss.

"Stop it," I grumbled. "Stop it, stop it, stop it. You wouldn't know. You didn't see him get killed, while I did. I could tell you all the details, if you want."

Macavity crossed his arms across his chest. "Please do."

I searched through my mind to reencounter the memory of the truck zooming down the street and connecting with Plato's body. The more I searched, though, the faster the memory began to fade away. I could not remember anything that had happened a couple hours ago. I knew something had happened…but I just didn't know what. I tried to grasp the memory again, but it had been completely washed out of my brain. The entire thing seemed like a dream, now that I thought about it.

"I…I don't remember," I responded.

"Right," Macavity said, holding back an eye roll. He tapped the back of my head with his knuckle, as if expecting to hear an echo inside a hollow head. "And I suppose you just forgot everything that occurred only hours ago?"

"I…don't know. It just left me. Like a…like a…"

"Like a dream?" Macavity finished.

I paused to contemplate whether or not that was a possibility. "Was it really?"

"I can assure you it was nothing else," he guaranteed, slipping his arms around my waist.

"I hope so. I don't want Plato dead."

Macavity chuckled. "Well…"

I elbowed him in his guts. "He is _your_ tomson. Be a little more compassionate, okay?"

Macavity rested his chin on top of my head and gazed at the inky sky. One paw found its way to my neck, and he began running his fingers over the glittering gems again.

"You seem to like that collar more than I do," I teased, giggling quietly.

"What can I say? It is quite the eye-catcher." He kissed my forehead and twirled me around once before releasing me. "Go to sleep. We would not want your brother to wake up and see that you are gone."

"Are you not coming?"

The Mystery Cat turned to the road before him. "I have something to do. Good night."

I decided that it would be best if I didn't question him about it. "'Night, Mac."

I was awakened by sobbing and shrill screams in the distance. Mistoffelees sprang up from under his blanket, grabbed my paw, and dragged me out into the clearing. Only the large group of henchcats stood there, scratching their heads in confusion. I looked to Adolph for an explanation, but he only shrugged back. More screams pierced the air, breaking the peaceful morning silence. It was followed by endless crying and whimpering from the kittens. Misto guided me to one end of the junkyard—the same spot Macavity and I had talked and where Plato ran off. The kittens were all pressed against the fence, shrieking while tears streamed down their faces. The older Jellicles were lugging something onto the sidewalk from the middle of the road. I gasped sharply and hugged Misto tightly, burying my face into his shoulder. He hugged back and tried to act strong, but I could feel his tears dampening my fur.

Cassandra and Alonzo were grasping their denmates' paws with their heads hung low, shoulders shaking violently. I could see that Macavity had some "fun" when redesigning Exotica and Admetus' bodies. I didn't know if it was their real corpses or if it was just a clone, but either way, it looked realistic. Macavity had taken the time to slash open their bodies to make it seem as if it had really been run over by a human's car. Seeing my friends like that overwhelmed me with sorrow. I had a sudden urge to shout out, "It wasn't really a car! It was Macavity! Macavity killed our friends!" but I knew better than to do that. I just continued to snivel into my brother's shoulder and tried to block out the sounds of the grieving Jellicles around me.

Later that day we had a ceremony for the deceased Jellicles. Everyone, save Macavity and his henchcats, went to the far south end of the junkyard, which was probably the least visited spot in the area. We all dug deep into the earth with some old, rusty shovels until we had created two holes in the ground, each big enough to fit one cat. We lowered their bodies into the graves and bid our farewells. Everybody sat in a circle with a ring of lighted candles around us. Old Deuteronomy said some prayers before giving us permission to patch up the holes in the ground. Nobody spoke—we just sat and shared the silence. My brother held me close, and we cried together.

"_Whether joy or sorrowful,"_ Old Deuteronomy quoted, _"the heart needs a double, because a joy shared is a double and a pain that is shared is divided."_

Jemima howled and let out a new batch of tears. Electra and Etcetera tried to comfort her with pats on the shoulder, but they themselves were wailing as well.

"It's okay, Victoria," Misto told me. "Now, they are in the Heaviside Layer. Isn't that a good thought?"

I weakly nodded my head. "I guess. No more harm can come to them, right?"

Misto managed a smile. "Right."

As the hours passed, cats began to head back to their dens, wiping the tears from their eyes. It was custom for the tribe leader to stay awake through the night at the dead Jellicles' graves. At about midnight, Jemima, Cassandra, Alonzo, Munkustrap, Misto, Deuteronomy, and I were still sitting by the graves. Our wise leader was sitting on a cushion on the ground with his eyes closed, meditating. The older Jellicles followed suit. The only cat still crying was Jemima, who was probably the most sensitive of us all. Her shoulders trembled and her bottom lip quivered. Then, I saw a pair of arms wrapping around her. Jemima looked up at Adolph through her drooping eyelashes. The henchcat murmured soothing words into her ear while she nodded and sniffled. Munkustrap, Cassandra, and Alonzo all opened one eye to see who had interrupted the peace and quiet. Cassandra turned to Alonzo, who turned to Munkustrap, who turned to Deuteronomy, who still had his eyes closed.

"Deuteronomy?" Munkustrap whispered.

Deuteronomy continued to meditate. "Hm?"

"A henchcat is here," Munkustrap said, scratching his head.

"To see me?"

"No, to see Jemima…?"

Deuteronomy opened his eyes and took his time standing up. "Excuse me," he bellowed at Adolph to get the young tom's attention.

"Oh, hello, sir!" Adolph greeted our noble leader and gave him a strong salute.

"Yes, hello to you, too," Deuteronomy responded, surprised by the tom's cheerful attitude. "Please understand that this is a private funeral for the Jellicles and the Jellicles only. And, please, no going near the kittens."

"Sorry, sir," he apologized. Adolph was beginning to stand up when Jemima tugged on his arm and batted her eyelashes as if telling him to stay. Adolph shrugged and said, "I can't disobey orders from your leader. I'll see you all tomorrow." He waved at us, and only we kittens waved back. The others just stared him down until he left.

Shortly after he was gone, Jemima yawned and got up. "I think I'm going to go back to my den. Goodnight, everybody." She blew a kiss at the dead Jellicles. "Goodnight, Exy and Admetus."

"Maybe we should go back too, Vicky," Misto suggested. "It is getting late."

I looked up at the sky to see that it was the North Star had already appeared. "Good idea."

After, saying our last prayers to our poor friends, we stood up and stepped over the ring of candles, most of which had died or been blown out.

As I was resting in my den, I continued to send my best wishes to Exotica and Admetus. I rolled over to my side and shut my eyes, feeling a lot better knowing that they were now living peacefully in the Heaviside Layer, and that, years from now, I will be able to see them again. With these thoughts in my mind, I was able to drift off into a deep sleep.

Just one icy touch was enough to wake me up in the middle of the night. I turned over, and for a second I thought I was looking straight into Plato's eyes. A look of disappointment fell upon my face once I realized it was only his father, once again, here to "give me company." I closed my eyes again and rolled back to my original position, keeping my back to Macavity.

"You killed them," I whispered, attempting to make him feel guilty about what he has done. I was far from succeeding, for Macavity merely snickered and began admiring my collar again.

"You don't feel bad at all?" I asked with a hint of rage building up inside of me.

"Victoria, in my lifetime, I have killed many cats from many tribes ever since I was a young tom. Never have I once felt an ounce of guilt from any of these murders. What could possibly make you think I feel sorry for what I have done now?"

"Because you are a Jellicle now, or you are at least trying to be. To be Jellicle, you have to act like a Jellicle, too. You know, we'll only be faithful and true to others who do what Jellicles do."

"I will try, Victoria, but the Jellicles always have their suspicions."

"I know, but it was very kind of them to let you stay. You are family, Macavity, you know that?"

Macavity didn't seem to know how to respond. The ginger tom continued to trace the diamonds on my new ornament and was silent for a few moments. Right before I was about to fall asleep, though, he whispered into my ear, "Thank you for accepting me."

I just hoped he wasn't smirking while he said that.

At mid-morning, I finally woke up and dragged myself out of the den. As the last cat to be up, I was expecting to see much hustle and bustle in the clearing. The warm weather had caused the snow to fully melt, and it had also evaporated its watery remains. But, instead of seeing Tumblebrutus and Pouncival cartwheel across the open space, Jennyanydots and Jellylorum deep in conversation, and Electra and Etcetera pulling their latest pranks, I caught sight of Munkustrap, Alonzo, Mungojerrie, Rumpleteazer, _and_ Rum Tum Tugger on patrol with no other cats around except for the unusually silent henchcats. What really stunned me was seeing Tugger on duty. The Rum Tum Tugger always had "better things to do" than to patrol the area. I strode over to him and was surprised to see his usual cool, relaxed swagger was replaced with intense pacing across the clearing and back.

"Tugger!" I called.

"Hm? Oh, hey, Vick," Tugger responded, obviously distracted by something.

"Where are all the Jellicles? Why wasn't Misto in our den? And _why_ are you on patrol?" I interrogated him.

"Mistoffelees is with Pounce and Tumble at the oven," he answered, gesturing towards the brothers' den with his head. "I suggest you go, too. Either way, Munku will shoo you off of the clearing."

"Why? Is it not safe out here?"

Tugger leaned in close and spoke in a low voice. "A few henchcats have gone missing. They're up to something, and we're not going to let them get away with it. All the adults are ordering their kits to stay inside a den. It's too dangerous out here in the open, where they can strike at any time. Stay indoors, okay Vick?" He tousled my headfur and gave me a small push towards Tumblebrutus and Pouncival's den. I looked back at the group of henchcats and noticed that it was a considerably smaller bunch than before. Thirty of them had disappeared, one of which was Cezar. Was Tugger right? Were they actually plotting an attack against us? I couldn't even comprehend the fact that they had escaped in the middle of the night without being caught. Munkustrap was on patrol the entire time, and he takes his job incredibly seriously. He would have noticed if a tom had snuck out of the clearing at night, let alone thirty toms. Perhaps Adolph would know how they did it, or Macavity. The whole situation made my stomach feel queasy. Something was not right here…

"Victoria?"

I spun around in panic and breathed a sigh of relief when I saw Adolph standing in front of me. "Oh, hi, Adolph. Listen, do you have any idea about where a fifth of your henchcats went?"

The smile that seemed to have been always plastered onto his face dropped. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about. I heard them talking last night. They said that they wanted to escape and join Plato."

I cocked my head to the side. "Join Plato in what?"

Adolph uncrumpled a piece of paper he held in his paw and displayed it for me to see.

"'Wanted,'" I read out loud. "'Tall tom, seventeen, auburn and white in color. Looks similar to his father, the notorious Napoleon of Crime. Last seen in an alleyway in London, England. Has murdered eight cats so far—two queens and six toms—over the course of two nights. Has no motive for killing and no specialized targets. Alley cats are warned. If confronted by him, do not attempt to fight back. Caution: armed and dangerous.'" I was too shocked to read the rest. Plato slaughtering other cats for Macavity is one thing, but doing it for _fun_ was completely different.

"Wh-why is he doing this?" I choked out while blinking back the tears in my eyes.

"He's getting his anger out," Adolph replied as he tore up the wanted poster.

"Anger? What anger? I thought everything was perfectly fine."

"Don't you remember? He hates the Jellicles. He hated it here."

"But he was the one who suggested coming here in the first place."

"Yeah, but only 'cause he knew it would make you happy."

I nearly tore out my headfur. "Is that all he cares about? Doing what he _thinks_ is best for me? I—ugh, I do not know whether I should be angry or grateful. He has done so much for me…" I placed a paw on my collar and breathed in deeply. "I am going to find him. The Jellicles can't know about this sick habit of his. I will help him, no matter what it takes." I didn't give time to Adolph to protest, and I walked right past him and asked for Munkustrap's permission to reside in Coricopat and Tantomile's den. After my permission was granted, I jogged on the path that not only led to the psychic twins' den, but also to the edge of the junkyard. I climbed up the chain-link fence and swung myself onto the other side. Everybody believed I was with Cori and Tanto, which let me have plenty of time to search for Plato and stop the madness.

I weaved through the alleyways but only found a few cats huddled together, desperately trying to survive in the harsh conditions. More wanted posters were put up in the alleyways. I tore each of them down and crushed them under my hind paws. The light eventually faded, and it was dusk. I only wished that no one had arrived at the twins' den to check-up on me, only to see that I had never been there in the first place. It was a bit unlikely, though. Honestly, most Jellicles were too afraid of the twins to enter their den, especially without an invitation, although with an invitation may be just as frightening. Usually, having been called for by Cori and Tanto was not a good sign.

Four miles of traveling later, I decided to stop and rest for the night. The wanted posters were becoming more abundant, so I would imagine that Plato was in this area. I plopped down on the ground and curled myself up into a little ball.

Sleeping wasn't easy, though. I was all alone in an eerie-looking alley in London with a cat murderer on the loose. Normally I would be terrified, but Plato wouldn't hurt me…right? At least, he wouldn't try to.

Curling myself tighter into a ball, I sang myself to sleep:

"_Love can build a bridge_

_Between your heart and mine_

_Love can build a bridge_

_Don't you think it's time?_

_Don't you think it's time?_

_When we stand together_

_It's our finest hour_

_We can do anything, oh, anything_

_Keep believing in the power..._

_Between your heart and mine_

_Love can build a bridge_

_Don't you think it's time?_

_Don't you think it's time?"_

Something cold pressed against my chest. It was like Macavity's touch, but it felt heavy and faintly glinted in the lamplight through all the rust. The pressure increased until the force was strong enough to roll me over, making me stare up into the eyes of the new criminal.

"Plato?" I whispered, squinting my eyes at him.

"What? Why are you here?" he hissed back.

I studied the object in his paw. "Are you holding a hammer?"

"Pretty much." He twirled the hammer with his fingers with ease.

I picked myself up from the ground and ripped off a wanted poster on the side of a building. "Do you see this?"

"Yes. They're everywhere."

Plato didn't sound ashamed at all. He casually leaned against the side of the alley and continued to spin the hammer.

"Adolph told me that a bunch of henchcats are coming to join you," I told him. "They all want to be a part of your mass murder spree."

Plato poked me with his hammer again. "You wouldn't understand, Victoria. We were all born and raised this way, and nothing can ever change that, so just leave. You're wasting your time. Don't think I don't know why you came. You're here to change my mind, to come back to the Jellicles, but I—"

"Hate it there," I completed for him. "I know, but you only hate them because you thought they all hated you. If they find out about what you are doing, Plato, they won't ever let you step back into that junkyard. Queens, Plato, really? Have you stooped so low that you will kill anyone in sight, no matter who they are?"

"Yes," Plato responded, and he whacked me hard on the left side of my head with the opposite end of the hammer.

"Everlasting Cat, Plato, what was that for?" I scolded. I winced when my paw came in contact with the area that he hit me.

"You said yourself that I will kill anyone in sight," he pointed out, stepping closer, "no matter who they are." And with that, he struck me again on the opposite side of my head with the end of the hammer.

"Plato, stop it!" I cried.

"Toughen up, will you?" he sneered. "I told you not to come looking for me. Don't you remember why I left?"

I wiped away a lone tear on my cheek. "To keep me safe from you."

"Right, and now that you have found me again…"

"I have realized that you were right," I wept. "You have hurt me again, even after you said you wouldn't. And the worst part is, you probably won't apologize."

"I need some time to think, Victoria. I don't know how I'm feeling. Please, just go."

"But—"

"Just go!" Plato screeched at me, giving me another blow to the head with the softer side of his weapon.

But I refused to leave. "Come back, Plato, please! I miss you. You are turnin'intoyourfather." I dropped to the ground and cupped my face in my paws, sobbing.

"Don'leavemewithyourfather," I begged. "Everynigh'Macavityvisitsmeinmyden. Everynigh''ekeepsmewideawake. Pleasedon'killanyoneelse. Pleasedon'."

A cream-colored Birman cat with a chocolate face stumbled upon us in the alley. He was followed by more than twenty other toms, all of which were Macavity's henchcats. I scrambled up and yelped at the sight of them, backing up into Plato by accident. The copper tom caught me as I tripped over my hind paws and fell backwards, causing me to shriek again. Every henchcat raised an eyebrow in confusion at my atypical attitude. They stepped towards me, asking if I was okay, and I replied with another shrill cry. At last, Plato caught on to the reason why I was acting so strangely. By now he knew what to do, and, without haste, he laid me down on the ground and cradled my head in his lap. I scratched the dirt with my claws and hissed wildly. The henchcats backed away slowly and impatiently waited for me to calm down. I reached for his hammer and began fiddling with it, becoming more and more restless by the minute. I observed the rusty metal with no interest whatsoever, but only so that I could keep myself busy. As I twiddled with the weapon, Plato smoothed down my headfur and hushed me, even though I had stopped hissing and whimpering a few minutes ago. Every now and then a henchcat would peek into the alley and groan when they realized I was still in a schizophrenic mood.

"Everlasting Cat, Victoria. You're still not healed?" Plato said, snickering quietly.

"I-I'dfeelb-betterify-you'dcomebacktothejunkyard," I replied shakily.

Plato shook his head. "No, Victoria. Only your family can help you. I would only hinder your recovery."

"Nonothat'snottrue," I slurred. "Comebacktothejunkyard."

"I can't, Vicky. Haven't you notice your relapses of Schizophrenia only occur when I'm around?"

"Nonothat'snottrue," I repeated. "Comebacktothejunkyard."

"No," he responded sternly.

"But…willyounotmissme? Willyoumissyourfather?"

"Of course I will, but I'm doing this for you. Don't cry." He wiped away the tears that were streaming down my cheeks.

My disorder got the best of me. "Then I will force you to come with me! I will force you stop murdering cats! I will—"

Plato clapped his paw over my mouth. "Quiet, Victoria. Are you calm?" I nodded, and he let go. "If I come back, I'll hurt you again. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"That'swha'Macavitytoldme," I said, sitting up and handing his hammer back to him.

"That's because Macavity is right. I think I should stay here."

"Stay and do what? Get your anger out on other cats?"

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Who said anything about me being angry?"

I traced in the dirt with my finger, avoiding eye contact. "Thatisjus'wha'Adolphthinks. Is'eright?"

"Um…" He nervously fidgeted with his weapon. "I'm just confused. And annoyed."

"Annoyed with me?"

"With myself."

"Because you have a terrible habit of killing cats that is spinning out of control?"

"No, I do that all the time."

I frowned and turned to look at him, and he smirked slightly. _Weird, his eyes look so sweet and inviting. It's a shame he has such a sickening hobby. _

"Vick?"

I blinked and returned to reality.

"'Sweet and inviting'?"

"What…?" I widened my eyes and immediately blushed when I understood what he meant.

"You didn't mean to say that aloud, did you?" he said, the corners of his mouth turning up into a bigger smile.

I accidentally let a giggle slip out, and I turned away in embarrassment. My cheeks were burning so fiercely I thought they would explode any minute now.

"Can I ask you something?"

I was too tongue-tied to respond, so I just nodded for him to continue.

"Why have you stuck with me week after week, even after all I have done?"

"Because I knowyouare more than just 'Macavity's tomson.'"

"But I'm not."

I punched his shoulder with no playfulness intended. "What is that supposedtomean? Are you proudofbeing Macavity's tomson? What makes you…"

"Hush," he ordered me while rubbing my back to calm me down. "No more questions. If I were you, I would go back to the Jellicles and forget we ever had this conversation."

"Do you want me to go?"

"I…no. No, I don't. But you should go. Go back to your family."

"Any last words?"

"I…I love you, Victoria."

Pause. _Uh…_

Plato stopped rubbing my back. "Victoria?"

Pause. _What should I say?_

"You don't love me back, do you?"

"I have been saying it to Macavity for so long…"

"Victoria!"

"I-I'm sorry! He makes me say it, and I don't even know if it is true or not." I touched my collar and sighed, not very pleased with where this was going.

"Macavity gave you that?" Plato touched the accessory around my neck.

"He made it himself. I didn't really expect it. Do you think it means something?"

"I think it means he loves you a whole lot. He's never given a collar like that to anybody. It doesn't have a tracking device on it, does it?"

I giggled, remembering the time when I had asked exactly the same question. "I was thinking the same thing, but he guaranteed there was nothing suspicious about it."

"I'm surprised you believe him."

"He has been really nice lately. It looks like he is turning into you and you are turning into him."

"Huh?"

"Well, now Macavity is being all 'sweet and inviting,' and you are about to start your own gang."

"Gang?"

"Yes, gang! There are thirty henchcats out in the sidewalk wanting to join you in your little game!"

"So, what, now I have to compete with Macavity for you? You are comparing me to my own father?"

"Yes, and it is a real shame I have to do that, especially when the Jellicle Ball is coming up!"

By the end of my statement, my voice had risen into a holler. Plato was stunned at my tone of voice, and he was equally astonished at the threat I was implying.

"You're going to be mated this year, aren't you?"

I nodded and stared down at my lap. I regretted saying those words to him with all my heart. I wish I could read his mind and know what he was thinking during these awkward silences.

"What are you thinking?" I asked bluntly.

"I'm…just…I…" Plato groaned and stood up. "I'm leaving. This conversation has gone far enough."

"Oh, you are off to hammer another cat to death?"

Plato gritted his teeth and successfully kept himself from exploding. "Go. It's almost dawn. The Jellicles will get worried. Please go."

I turned and stormed out of the alley without another word. I pushed my way through the henchcats on the sidewalk and ignored their confused faces. They shrugged to each other and strode into the alley, where their new boss was waiting.

That day, Plato gained thirty henchcats to work for him.

That day, Plato lost me to Macavity.

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><p><strong>AN: So Victoria is torn between Macavity and Plato...She has stumbled across the classic conundrum. Except this time, the stakes are high, because whoever she picks shall become her mate :( **

**Who do you want her to pick? Review and tell!**

**Thanks for reading! Next chapter may not be up until...I don't know, six days from now? Stay tuned! The Jellicle Ball may be coming soon...**


	30. One Surprise After Another

**A/N: Hey! I'm sorry for the rushed and random chapter. As you can see, I have this problem with getting super excited about what will happen in the story's future and tend to fly through every chapter :( I'm working on containing my excitement. BUT...We are almost at the Jellicle Ball! Thanks for your patience.**

**So, Mistoffelees and Victoria kind of talk in code, and I know how annoying it might be if you had to scroll down to the bottom for the translation everytime one of them says something, so I'll just put the translation next to the sentence in italics. Hopefully that will be easier.**

**If you couldn't tell already, I had some trouble with this chapter and with adding details (**_**especially**_** the ending!) Critique to improve my writing is much appreciated!**

**Thank you to sarbear2255, LucyofNarnia, Bombastrap, and Macavity'sGirl722 for your fabulous reviews!**

**Enjoy the chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Cats: the musical.**

* * *

><p>"Hi, Tugger," I called out in a hushed tone as to not disturb the peace once I arrived at the clearing.<p>

"Hey, Vick. How was your stay with Cori and Tanto?"

I tried to think of a realistic answer. "Creepy."

He chuckled. "What else is new?"

I giggled quietly. "Do you need any help patrolling the area?"

"No, I'll be alright, thanks. Stay indoors, kitty."

"Okay. Just call if you need any help."

"I will."

I crawled into Misto's pipe until I reached our den. My brother had a worried look on his face and hugged me the second I stepped into our den.

"Where were you, Vicky? I was worried sick last night!" Mistoffelees exclaimed, squeezing me tightly.

"Sorry. I was staying over at Cori and Tanto's den."

"And…how was that?"

"Fascinating!" I said sarcastically.

Mistoffelees laughed. "Let us just hope they didn't experiment on you in your sleep."

I cringed at the thought of that. "Yikes, now that would not be good!"

He chuckled again. "So, do you want to catch some lunch together?"

I smiled. With all the drama going on, we hadn't been able to spend much time with each other. "I would like that."

We headed towards a path away from the clearing and passed by Coricopat and Tantomile's den. We both shuddered without even knowing it and continued down a few other paths until we reached a small clearing teeming with mice and pigeons. I kept on chasing after this one zippy brown mouse, but every time I pounced on it, it would scurry away even faster than before. Mistoffelees saw that I was having trouble, and he helped me corner it into a junk pile before letting me spring at it. I thanked my brother and offered him half of the plump mouse, which he graciously accepted. After snacking on our appetizer, we began to hunt for some pigeons in the area. Once I had finally caught one, I called out, "Misto! I got one!"

No answer.

I turned and scanned the mini-clearing. "Mistoffelees? Are you there?"

I paused and waited for a reply. Moments later, the tuxedo tom came out from behind a junk pile, thrashing in the arms of two burly cats. I dramatically clapped my paw over my mouth once I realized who they were.

"You don't happen to know who this lil' magical tom is, do 'ya?" Cezar sneered.

I nodded, trembling. "Y-Yes. He is my brother. Please let him go."

"Hm, I don't think we will," the other black- and red-speckled henchcat said before bursting into maniacal laughter.

"He'll be quite a fight for the Boss," Cezar explained and then grinned evilly. "The Boss likes that. He likes a challenge."

"Of course, Plato always wins," the spotted henchcat added. "I once saw him kill three Pollicles all at the same time with one front paw tied to his hind paw behind his back. Not a scratch on him."

"Please don't take Mistoffelees," I begged. "Not Mistoffelees. Please. He hasn't done anything to you."

Cezar looked at his comrade. "What do you say, Xal'?"

Xal—a nickname, I presumed, from Xalbador—responded, "If you want your brother back…come and get him!" He slung Mistoffelees over his shoulder and ran off with Cezar, jumping over the fence and sprinting across the street. Without hesitation, I followed them, ignoring Mistoffelees' commands to stay in the junkyard. I didn't believe my brother one bit when he called to me, "I will be okay!" I didn't try to think about the trap they might have been leading me to, or if they would make me watch while Plato brutally beat up and possibly killed my brother. I just impulsively hurried after them as they winded through alley after alley, ultimately stopping at a blind alley far from the last one Plato was in. The number of wanted signs had increased substantially—not a good sign.

The young, rust-colored criminal was sitting on the ground with his legs stretched out in front of him and his back leaning against the alley wall, holding that infamous hammer of his. All his other henchcats had followed suit, only their weapons consisted of regular-looking knives and blades—none as strange as Plato's. Evidently, they looked up to their new boss, who was also Macavity's second-in-command.

"What do you have?" Plato asked, concentrating on scraping some dry blood off his arm.

"Two for the price of one," Xalbador answered his leader with a snicker.

Plato stood up and whirled his hammer with his fingers. "Where's the other?"

Cezar looked over his shoulder and caught sight of me discreetly peeking my head into the alley. He seized my headfur and yanked me in, dropping me onto my knees at Plato's hind paws. I stared down at the dirt, too full of fear to look into Plato's eyes. The same chocolaty eyes I used to love getting lost into were now what I was trying to avoid the most. Those stupid sweet and inviting eyes—I couldn't bring myself to look into them.

"Get away from her!" Mistoffelees shouted, but he was quickly silenced by Xalbador with a good slap.

Tears sprang in my eyes at the sight of Mistoffelees getting hurt, and I buried my face into my paws. "Please don't hurt him, Plato. Please don't."

The auburn tom kicked me aside and walked toward a henchcat that was lazily sitting on the ground and picking his teeth with his claws. Plato jerked him up by his headfur and threw him at Mistoffelees.

"Tie him down. I'll deal with him later," Plato ordered. Xalbador and the lazy tom saluted their new boss and dragged Misto away to another alley.

"No! Come back!" I cried, and then looked up at Plato. It seemed as if we were both trying to avoid eye contact with each other. "What will you do with him?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Tell me! The Jellicles will find out he is missing, anyway."

"I don't plan on keeping him for long."

"Then what do you plan?"

"Oh, please, your brother is as good as dead," a random henchcat remarked pessimistically.

"I—but—no—WHAT?" I shouted, utterly shocked.

"Put her with her brother. We'll take them to the old warehouse in an hour," Plato commanded.

"No! Let me GO!" I screamed as Cezar picked me up by my waist and carried me over to the neighboring blind alley. At the end of the alley, he tightly wrapped rope all around my body like a strait jacket and tossed me next to the already tied-up Mistoffelees. Cezar leaned against the building and watched us intently, making us extremely uncomfortable.

"9, 20 15 12 4, 25 15 21, 16 12 1 20 15, 23 1 19, 5 22 9 12," Mistoffelees suddenly blurted out. _[I told you Plato was evil.]_

Cezar raised an eyebrow, but I smiled at my brother. We had talked in our little number code since we were kits. Every time we wanted to talk in private, we would just shout out the number that corresponds with the letter. It took some time to master, but I guess you could say we speak it pretty fluently now.

"9, 4 15, 14 15 20, 11 14 15 23," I replied, nearly giggling at Cezar's confused face. "3 1 20 19, 3 1 14, 3 8 1 14 7 5." _[I do not know. Cats can change.]_

"Ha, 20 8 1 20, 9 19, 23 8 1 20, 25 15 21, 19 1 9 4, 2 5 6 15 18 5." _[Ha, that is what you said before.]_

"2 21 20—" _[But—]_

"Will you two just SHUT UP?" Cezar finally hollered at us.

"16 18 1 12 25, 14 15 20," Mistoffelees muttered. _[Probably not.]_

I chortled, and Cezar totally lost it.

"Plato!" the irritated henchcat yelled. "I'm on my break!" He stormed out of the alley and was replaced by the new Hidden Paw himself.

"5 22 5 18 12 1 19 20 9 14 7, 3 1 20, 8 5, 9 19, 20 1 12 12," Mistoffelees exclaimed. _[Everlasting Cat, he is tall.]_

"25 15 21, 10 21 19 20, 14 15 2 4?" I responded. _[You just noticed?]_

"4 15, 14 15 20, 20 8 9 14 11, 9, 4 15, 14 15 20, 21 14 4 5 18 19 20 1 14 5, 23 8 1 20, 25 15 21, 1 18 5, 19 1 25 9 14 7," Plato interrupted. _[Do not think I do not understand what you are saying.]_

Mistoffelees and I glanced at each other and blushed. "19 15 18 18 25," we said in unison. _[Sorry.]_

Plato smirked and changed the topic. "Say your final sweet words to each other, because by tomorrow, you will both be up in the Heaviside Layer."

"Plato, you are kidding, right? You are going to get rid of us? And even after all we have been through…"

"What have you two been through?" Misto asked me, suspicious.

"Nothing…just…nothing. But in the small amount of time you were at our tribe, we…bonded. You could say that, right?"

"No," Plato replied mulishly.

"You cannot kill us, Plato. You won't. You just want to set an example for your henchcats."

"That's not true."

"Then I guess you are just sick of me? You strongly dislike me? You dislike both of us?"

Out of nowhere, Plato lashed out his arm and swiped at Misto. My squeal was cut short when I realized he had just cut the ropes around the tuxedo cat with a knife.

"Come with me," Plato hissed at Mistoffelees, grabbing his arm. "I need to talk to you."

"I do not believe that we should—"

"Just come." The copper tom dragged Mistoffelees away and out of sight. I bit my lip hard, hoping he wasn't about to use his hammer on my brother. I let out my breath when I finally heard Misto speak up, only my brother saying, "You WHAT?" was still not very reassuring.

Many minutes later, Mistoffelees came alone and gawked at me, completely flabbergasted at what Plato had whispered to him. He took a few steps forward, stopped, gawked some more, and then continued to step towards me.

"What did he say?"

"He said—" Mistoffelees swallowed hard. "—He said you two have known each other for nearly two months now."

I widened my eyes. Had Plato told Mistoffelees _everything?_

"He says his father kitnapped you, and the Jellicles don't remember it because Macavity wiped you from our memories."

"And…that's all?"

Misto shook his head, still dumbfounded. "He told me that he had once tried to drown you, and that he regrets doing it, and that Macavity had tortured you a number of times, but he always held back because…" Mistoffelees bunched his eyebrows together and blinked back tears in his eyes. "…because he loves you. A lot. And a human didn't really give you that collar—Macavity did. And, um, you saved him from being executed, which I still don't get. And you got schizophrenia or something, which sounds absolutely awful, and…" He rubbed his face with his paws and tried hard not to cry. "Everlasting Cat, Vicky, why hadn't I helped you? How could I not have done anything? I'm magical! I was the only hope for the tribe to rescue you, but not even I could put down the mind barrier! Oh, I am so ashamed, and I am so sorry, Victoria. I will never be able to make it up to you. I wish you would forgive me, but why would you? You must have felt so abandoned, knowing none of the Jellicles were able to save you. I bet you were counting on me to help you escape, and when I never came, you must have lost hope. Oh, I am so sorry!"

I would have hugged him to death had I not been tied up so tightly. "Mistoffelees, it is not your fault. Everlasting Cat knows you have done nothing wrong. I forgive you, Misto, even though you should not be apologizing in the first place."

The tuxedo tom nodded and wiped a tear from his eye. "Thank you, Victoria."

"What else did Plato tell you?"

Misto inhaled deeply before continuing. "You are friends with the brown- and white-spotted henchcat named Adolph. Macavity took you on a mission to slay Pollicles—which sounds downright _grueling_. Oh, Victoria, I am so sorry," he apologized again. "And he says that you tried to jump off a building—"

"It was my schizophrenia, Misto. I would never do that on purpose."

"Right, right." He brushed away more tears that were slowly rolling down his cheeks. "A-and Plato saved you." I nodded. Misto took another deep breath. "And he said, and I quote, 'She is the best thing that has ever happened to my life. Make sure she knows that.'"

I gasped to myself. "Really? Then…then why does he want to kill us?"

"I'm not done. He also said, 'I have a problem and nothing can really stop it, but make sure Victoria knows I am always the same Plato.' And then he also said that he has a surprise for you."

"A surprise? Like what?"

"I don't know. He just said 'a surprise,' and told me to go back to you."

"…Anything else?"

"Th-that is all."

I exhaled quietly, glad Plato hadn't confessed that his father had killed our two Jellicle friends, or the time when Macavity had forced me to mate with him. But now all I could think about was the surprise Plato was talking about. I sure hoped it was a non-evil surprise, not like when Macavity "surprised" me by proclaiming that we would be mated.

"Mistoffelees?" He didn't answer. "Mistoffelees, please do not tell anyone else. And I promise you, Macavity has changed. Plato has changed…sort of. Adolph has changed. I trust them, and you should, too."

He kneeled down and hugged me. "I won't, Vicky, I won't, but I still cannot trust them." Misto uncurled his fingers to reveal a small knife in his paw. "Plato gave it to me. He told me to cut you out."

"He is letting us go?"

"I believe so. But he is still not giving up his devilish ways."

Mistoffelees sawed through the rope that was strongly coiled around me and helped me up. "Shouldn't we at least tell somebody? Maybe Pouncival, or Tumblebrutus, or Tugger."

"Misto, we can't! Macavity and Plato and Adolph are like family to me. I feel like I have known them forever. And please continue magic lessons with Macavity. It is a great way for you two to bond. You have been getting along so well. Don't ruin that beautiful relationship that is growing between you two."

Mistoffelees scrunched up his nose and scowled at me. "I don't know, Vicky. After all he has done to you, how can we be friends? How can you even trust him? I just hope you are not being naïve."

"I am not as naïve as you think I am."

"I certainly hope not, Vicky. You are a very intelligent queen. But at least let me talk to Macavity about this."

"Oh, no, Misto, that is just about the worst thing you could do! He will be furious with you for knowing what has happened, without a doubt."

He frowned. "This has to be our little secret?"

"It would be best if we are the only ones who know. I am actually quite glad Plato told you. I didn't like keeping it a secret from everybody, especially you."

"And I am glad I know. Now you say you trust Plato, Adolph, and Macavity, but what about all his other henchcats?"

I bit my lip. "I don't know. Thirty of them have resorted to becoming criminals again, and I am afraid the others might too." I looked up at my brother with big, innocent eyes. "Is this all my fault? I am the one who convinced everyone to let them stay."

Mistoffelees embraced me in his arms again. "No, Victoria. Of course not."

"You really think so? I mean, it is not as if I knew Plato would become a serial killer and inspire all the other henchcats to become one too."

Mistoffelees laughed quietly and took my paw, leading me out of the alley. Just as we stepped out into the sidewalk, a paw grasped my arm roughly.

"Where do you think you're going?" Xalbador hissed at us, tightening his grip on my upper arm.

A set of brown eyes appeared behind him. "They can leave. I don't want you taking anyone from the Jellicles again, do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir." Xalbador gave a lousy salute and followed his seventeen-year old boss back to their alley, while I followed Mistoffelees back to our home.

Luckily, no one was worried too much about us being gone for too long without adult supervision. We got the same lecture from Munkustrap that we had gotten for several years now and went back to our den, for it was past dusk. I draped my fuzzy blanket over myself and, after exchanging "Good night"s with Mistoffelees, I turned off the small lamp Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer had generously given to us from one of their burglaries and drifted into a sweet sleep.

I was not surprised at all when I woke up in the middle of the night to see Macavity staring back at me.

"I have never met another cat who sings in her sleep," the Hidden Paw remarked.

_Good thing he can't see my blushing through the darkness._ I twisted around to face him.

"How did I sound?"

"Beautiful," he responded, brushing my headfur away from my half-closed eyes. I giggled softly and closed my eyes, resuming to my peaceful slumber. Of course, Macavity's paw made its way up to my neck again to run his fingers over the breath-taking diamonds on the stunning collar. "Good night, Victoria."

"Good night, Mac."

I woke up with a giddy feeling inside of me. I didn't know why; I just felt giddy.

Once out of the pipe, I examined the clearing before me.

Giddiness gone.

Ninety henchcats had escaped overnight. Only thirty—including Adolph—were left. I caught sight of Alonzo snoozing on a wooden chair. I darted over to him and shook his shoulders.

The white and black-patched tom began to stir."Hm? V-Victoria? Yes? Is there something you want?" he said, rubbing his eyes.

I cocked my head as I asked, "Why does Munkustrap always put you on patrol? You seem to be sleeping the entire time. Shouldn't you get some rest?"

"Munkustrap is busy contending Demeter. She is still frightened to death, you know, over Macavity staying with us. Can't say I blame her." He yawned and stretched before standing up. "Everlasting Cat! What happened to all the toms in the clearing?"

"I don't know," I lied. "Maybe they went to live their lives like normal cats. You know, raise a family, feed the kits, play with them, educate them—"

"Yeah, somehow, Victoria, I don't think that is the case here."

I ducked my head down. "Sorry. Just trying to be optimistic."

Alonzo chuckled and patted my shoulder. "I'll go tell Munkustrap, Vick. Stay indoors. The clearing still isn't safe, apparently."

I nodded and strolled off. Mistoffelees appeared behind me, and we both decided to pay a visit to Jemima, Electra, and Jennyanydots. Skimbleshanks was still away doing his duty and probably wouldn't be back until tomorrow evening. On our way, I grabbed Adolph's arm and yanked him to the large den with us. Mistoffelees continued to glance over at Adolph from now and then, but his suspicions were slowly fading away.

The first thing I noticed upon entering the den was that Adolph was ogling Jemima noticeably.

"Hello, Jenny!" Misto and I greeted the tabby cat.

"Sup, Jennster," Adolph said casually to the respected Jellicle.

Nobody could resist facepawing themselves—not even Jemima. Jennyanydots just sighed, rolled her eyes, and resumed to washing the dirty dishes.

Adolph invited himself to sit next to Jemima while I sat to the left of Electra and Misto sitting to my left. I glanced at Electra and Misto, who were both staring straight ahead of them. I quickly got up and sat on the opposite side of Mistoffelees, allowing the tuxedo cat to sit next to Electra.

"Why did you do that?" Mistoffelees whispered to me.

"I thought you still needed a mate for the ball," I responded with a sly grin. "I am just trying to help you out."

Mistoffelees discreetly stuck his tongue out at me, making me giggle, and he smiled shyly at Electra, who smiled back. _Yes! Going great so far._

Pretty soon, Electra and Misto were deep in conversation, and she even asked if she could see some of his magic. Mistoffelees bobbled his head happily and guided her to the back of the TSE-1, where he usually found the perfect props for his magic. Adolph and Jemima were chattering as well—actually, it was more like Jemima was doing all the talking while Adolph gazed into her eyes. Half of me wanted to shout at him, "Pay attention to what she's saying, Adolph!" and the other half was thinking, "Aw, they look so adorable together."

As for me, I just stayed on my cushion and smiled at the young couple. I guess opposites really do attract, don't they?

Everything was going along perfectly. That is, until Adolph sweetly kissed Jemima on the cheek. The queenkit giggled.

And Jennyanydots saw the whole thing.

The young queen's adoptive mother threw down her dishtowel and pointed at the door. "Get out," she commanded through clenched teeth.

Adolph was slightly astonished by her sudden change in temper. "Uh, okay," he replied, standing up and dusting off his fur.

"Don't you 'uh, okay' me. I am your elder and you need to learn to treat me with some respect. I don't need you barging in here rowdily and start calling me modern names I don't even understand. And as if that wasn't enough, you have the audacity to sit down just a few centimeters away from my daughter and talk to her as if you have known her your whole life. But you don't stop there, do you? You think you know her so much that you can take things a little further and kiss her on the cheek! Unbelievable. Listen to me, you filthy, ruthless pollicle—I don't want you anywhere near the kittens, especially Jemima. If Munkustrap hadn't made that clear, I am making it clear now. I don't want my fourteen-year old daughter mating with a sixteen-year old criminal at the Jellicle Ball, so I forbid you to ever see her again, and you are banned from stepping into this den as well, so get out."

Jemima was in near tears right about now. Adolph, hating to see his innocent queen so upset, kneeled down and gave her another kiss on the cheek. Jennyanydots growled threateningly at him, and he ran out of there.

"I-I'm sorry for bringing him in here, Jenny," I said, still taken aback by her attitude.

"It's quite alright, dear. I suggest you go to your den, now."

"Yes, ma'am. Goodbye, Jemima."

To my surprise, she gave me the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face. "Bye, Victoria." She got up and whispered into my ear, "And thank you for bringing him to me."

I smiled back at her and exited the den. I saw a poof of sparkles erupt from behind the TSE-1, followed by laughter from a tom and a queen. The remaining henchcats in the clearing were still oblivious to why all the other henchcats had left. Once they found a wanted poster, though, I was sure they would leave, too.

By the end of the day, five more henchcats had sneaked away without anyone noticing. They were, after all, trained in stealth by the Napoleon of Crime. They were the best of the best.

Plato was rounding up henchcats fast. He already had 125 working for him, and it continued at this rate, it would soon be up at 150. Or, I guess, 149, since Adolph most likely would not be leaving any time soon. To be honest, I expected all the other henchcats, save Adolph, to be gone by tomorrow.

Later that night, while I was lying in bed, after hearing Misto drabble on and on about how hilarious and pretty and smart and friendly Electra was, before Macavity came to visit, I thought about this "surprise" Plato was planning. Was it something concrete, like a collar, a book, or some other kind of present? Or was it something abstract, like joy or happiness or something? It made my head hurt just thinking about it. Would it come next week? Tomorrow? Next year? _Grr, I have got to stop thinking so hard! _Just go to sleep…go to sleep…go to sleep…think happy thoughts…think about your friends…think about the Jellicle Ball…

Everlasting Cat, the Jellicle Ball! I had been so focused on finding Misto a mate that I forgot about myself. Not to mention I had to LEAD the entire thing this year. And the ball was, what, just a few days away?

EC, I just despise issues like this.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! I don't think I'll be able to update again this weekend, so I'm REALLY sorry about that!<strong>

**Thank you to all of my kind reviewers!**

**What are your thoughts on this chapter? Anybody mad at Jenny for yelling at Adolph? Please tell in a review! Also, as I have mentioned before, I love critique!**


	31. Jellicle Lie Detector

**A/N: I. Am so. SORRY! This is SOOO late and I really don't have an excuse for that. I simply had some minor writer's block, but that's it. Another interesting and random chapter awaits. I really hope you enjoy!**

**To Bombastrap: Thanks for reviewing! I guess you could say Munkustrap is leading the ball, since he's the narrator and all :) haha. Victoria is leading the Mating Dance, and is required to perform a dance after the Naming of Cats to kind of introduce herself as the leader of said dance. Hope that's not too confusing xD Thank you!**

**To sarbear2255: I am so glad you told me about that! I always imagined Victoria and Mistoffelees as having pleasant-sounding and clear voices, and so I didn't use contractions to make it more formal, but you're so right! Thank you so much for telling me! Half of this chapter was already typed up before I got your review, so the over-formality is probably still there, but it should be better in the second half. And since they are brother and sister, they shouldn't have to talk to each other in such proper voices xD Thanks!**

**Enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own CATS.**

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><p>"Vicky! Vicky, wake up! I need to tell you something."<p>

I moaned and wearily opened my eyes. Once my vision cleared, I found Jemima's innocent face beaming down on me. To avoid being rude, I kicked my blanket off and dragged myself up onto my hind paws. "Oh, hi, Jemima."

She grabbed my arm and began bouncing up and down. Her eagerness was beginning to rub off on me.

"What? What is it?" I questioned with a growing smile.

"Adolph—" She randomly burst into laughter and quickly covered up her enormous grin with her paw. "Adolph—" More giggles came out before she hurriedly said, "Adolphaskedmetobehismate!"

It took me a moment to take apart each word, and, when I finally comprehended what she had said, my jaw literally dropped to the floor. "Adolph…asked…you? Really? Oh, my Everlasting Cat, Jemima, that's great! What happened? Tell me _everything!_"

"Okay okay okay!" Jemima gleefully responded.

Our squeals of excitement had woken Mistoffelees up. He lazily sat up and stared at us with half-closed eyes.

"Jemima?" the tuxedo cat said groggily. "What are you doing here? I mean, not that I am not happy to see you here, but—"

"Adolph asked her to be his mate!" I interrupted my brother with another squeal.

He rubbed his eyes and rolled out from under his blanket. "Wait…is Adolph that henchcat you are friends with?"

I bobbled my head spiritedly at him and sat Jemima down. Just as Jemima opened her mouth to spill, a voice from behind shouted, "HONEY, I'M HO-OME!"

Jemima and I exploded into fits of laughter. Misto just raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is that Adolph?"

I rolled onto my stomach and gasped for breath between chortles. "Y-Yes!"

Adolph parted the curtain at the entrance of the den with a dramatic _swoosh_. "Who missed me?"

Jemima darted over to him and hugged him tightly, still hopping up and down. "I did!" she cried like a fan-girl. It looked like Adolph was now her new Tugger.

"Where did you go?" I inquired, cocking my head to the side.

Adolph shrugged. "Nowhere. I just haven't seen you guys for, like, ten hours."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, wow. Ten _whole_ hours."

"I know!" Adolph agreed, missing my sarcasm.

Mistoffelees piped up. "Um…so, you are Jemima's soon-to-be mate?"

The ex-henchcat bounced his eyebrows up and down. "You knows it!"

"So, how did it happen?" I asked, barely able to keep in my enthusiasm.

"Well, after I was driven out of Jenny's den," Adolph explained, "I had to find some way to get to Jem."

"So in the _middle of the night_…" Jemima teasingly glowered at Adolph before continuing. "…he _snuck_ into my den, completely disobeying Jennyanydots' rules, and shook me awake!"

"And don't forget the part where you were sleep-talking," Adolph added with a snicker.

Jemima blushed and suppressed a giggle. "I do not sleep-talk!"

Adolph snorted. "Yes you do! Besides, how would you know? You're always _sleeping_ while you're doing it. Here, I'll recap what you said." He cleared his throat and began mimicking Jemima's voice, and, admittedly, he was quite good at it. "_Adolph is the handsomest tom in the entire world. He's so incredible and handsome. I can't believe how awesome and handsome he is. I'm so lucky to have such a talented and handsome tom. Adolph is the king of the Jellicles…and of handsomeness_."

Jemima had her mouth covered with her paw, trying hard to not laugh, but her shoulders were shaking violently, and once one giggle tumbled past her lips, the rest flowed out as well. We cracked up along with her, clutching our sides, and, after we finally had calmed down, Jemima would guffaw again, triggering a chain reaction. Finally she had the breath to gasp out, "I did not say that!"

The white and brown-patched tom smirked. "Let's just say you did, okay?" He wrapped one arm around her waist and held her close for a kiss on the cheek.

The memory from last night popped into my mind. "Not to be a downer or anything, Jemima, but won't you need Skimble and Jenny's consent? I don't think Adolph is on very good terms with your mother." I bit my lip, afraid I had offended him. "Sorry, Adolph."

"No problem, Vick. I'll find a way to get around it. I mean, who can resist _this_ charm?" He waggled his eyebrows at us again, and we broke into more fits of giggles. Our laughter, however, was cut short when Jennyanydots barged into my den with a dishtowel in her paw.

"Interesting—it doesn't seem to be working on me," she huffed at Adolph.

Adolph widened his eyes and looked back and forth between Jenny and the arm still around Jemima's waist. "Hey, hi, um…how've you been?"

The Gumbie Cat glared at the criminal. "No—I talk, you pay attention very, very closely. Do you remember at all what I told you last night?"

"You said I was—"

Jenny bared her teeth at the young tom. "What did I say? No talking!"

"But you asked me a—"

"It was a rhetorical question!" she nearly screamed. The Jellicle breathed in deeply and slowly exhaled, but did not fully regain her composure. "I will say this once more: I do not want you to go anywhere near my precious daughter. None of the Jellicles want you near any of the kittens. In fact, why are you even in this den?" She held up a finger when Adolph opened his mouth to reply. "Don't answer that. You shouldn't even be in Victoria and Mistoffelees' den, who, may I remind you, are both kittens."

Adolph scowled at her. "Fine. Come on, Jemima, we're leaving." He took her paw and began leading her out of the room, but Jenny blocked the exit.

"I have never met anyone as disrespectful as you," Jennyanydots hissed. Mistoffelees and I didn't even bother to share a look with each other, too afraid that Jenny would catch us and begin telling us off. "I will have my daughter wait five years to mate if she has to, but no way in the Heaviside Layer will you ever be mates with her."

Adolph raised an eyebrow. "Why five years?"

"Because we only do the mating dances every five years," I explained to him. "And you must be at least fourteen to do so."

"Oh, well, in that case…there is _no way_ I am waiting five years! Are you crazy, queen?"

"_Adolph_," Jemima whispered, warning him to not go too far.

"No, I want you to listen, queenie." He stepped forward and waggled his finger at the eldest Jellicle in the den. "I don't care about your opinion on this. The only cat's opinion that matters here is Jemima's, and she already willingly agreed to be my mate. So back off, will 'ya?"

Then—and I still cannot believe she did this—Jennyanydots spiraled the dishtowel in her paw and whipped it at Adolph.

Jemima gasped. She was too astonished at her adoptive mother to say anything.

Adolph merely crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Ma'am, I have been training with Macavity for over four years now. It's going to take a lot more than a simple towel whip to shoo me out of this den."

Jenny gritted her teeth angrily, steam shooting from her ears. "I am not trying to shoo you out of this den; I am trying to shoo you out of my daughter's life!" With that, she whipped him again, with much more force than the first time. Mistoffelees and I took hold of Jenny's shoulders to keep her from striking again.

"Jenny, would you like to talk to your daughter about this privately?" Mistoffelees calmly asked the older Jellicle.

Instead of hissing at my brother, Jenny turned her lips up into a crooked smile. For a second she looked like the queen version of Macavity. "Actually…no. No, I am alright. Because Old Deuteronomy won't let you mate with my daughter anyway."

"How come, Jenny?" I inquired in a soft voice, making sure not to raise her temper again.

"The Jellicle Ball is strictly for Jellicles only," Jenny said.

"Okay, well, then, I'll just go up to this Old Deuteronomy and ask if I can be a Jellicle," Adolph responded.

Jenny's sly smile grew even wider. "You must be a loyal Jellicle for at least three whole years before you may participate in the Jellicle Ball."

"You're lying!" Adolph accused her.

"She is not," I told him. "It is true that you must be a faithful Jellicle for no less than three years in order to be a part of the ball. I am sorry, Adolph."

"Well, I most certainly am not," Jenny added in before sticking her nose up in the air and spinning on her heel. "Jemima, come with me, dear. I need help cleaning the dishes."

The red and black queen repressed a sigh and followed her adoptive mother out of the den. She turned and sadly waved at us. We waved back glumly. Adolph kept his arms crossed but gave Jem an assuring smile.

Once they had left the den, Adolph turned back to us with slumped shoulders. "And I thought ten hours was a long time," he said with a small chuckle.

"You will find a way, Adolph. I am sure of it," I guaranteed him.

"Thanks, Vicky. You too, Mistoffelees." He gave us a small salute and pivoted. Just as he was about to split the curtain, he twisted around again and said, "Oh, and you should know that I'm the only henchcat here now. The remaining toms left sometime between last night and this morning."

"To join Plato?" I asked, already knowing the answer before he replied.

Adolph nodded. "I've been trying to keep the Jellicles from finding the wanted posters. Unfortunately there are too many of them. I'm afraid they might find out soon. Sorry, Vick."

I smiled at my friend. "It is okay, Adolph. Thank you for trying. I just hope they do not find out. They would never trust him after that."

He nodded again. "Me, too. Well, see you later."

"Goodbye," Misto and I said together, leaving him to sulk alone.

I tried to brighten the awkward silence that followed with a cheery smile and faced the tuxedo cat. "How is the magic going?"

"To be honest, Macavity is an incredible teacher. Turn off that lamp," he ordered me. I flipped the switch on the lamp in our den and watched Misto curiously. In just a few seconds, light filled the room once more from the bulb. I gaped at my brother, utterly astounded. "How…how did you even do that? You did not even say or do anything."

"On the contrary, Vick, I controlled the lamp with my mind." He tapped his noggin. "And…" He draped a blanket over one of his books about the history of magic. "Watch." Mistoffelees waved his paws over it a few times, and then he lifted the blanket off of the object, which had vanished.

"Everlasting Cat, Misto, that was amazing!" I tilted my head to the side. "Where did it go?"

He grinned and told me to stand up. I did and revolved myself around, trying to find the misplaced object.

I had been sitting on it.

"How in the junkyard did it get there?" I wondered out loud, bending down to pick it up from the spot I had been sitting on.

"Magic," Misto responded and laughed at my confused face.

"Anything else?"

"Every now and then I will be able to shoot lightening, but I do not want to take the risk." He gazed into my eyes, and I instantly became nervous. "Do you really think I should continue lessons with Macavity?"

"Yes! Yes, of course you should! That would be great." I smiled at him and took his arm. "Come! I want to see what he is going to teach you!" I dragged him out into the almost empty clearing. I skidded to a stop, Mistoffelees almost bumping into me, for out there, in the clearing was Macavity and his brother Munkustrap.

And Demeter.

The gold and black queen was clutching her mate's arm tightly. She hadn't been outside for days. The poor queen—one of Macavity's sorriest victims—was trying hard not to tremble. Macavity's constant smirking was not helping her out, either.

Mistoffelees began to turn away. "This probably is not the best time."

I jerked him back. "Mistoffelees, maybe if Demeter sees us talking to Mac in an informal way, she will not be scared of him anymore. She will think he is good now."

Misto eyed me carefully. "Do you really think so?"

"What is the worst that could happen?"

"I do not know—she thinks we are working for Macavity, calls us traitors, and then orders Deuteronomy to banish us from the junkyard?"

I laughed at his idea for the worst-case scenario. "I highly doubt that, Misto. Let us just try, okay?"

My brother sighed and began to walk alongside me. "Okay. But make it quick. I do not want to be on bad terms with Demeter."

I giggled and walked over to the queen, her mate, and her ex-tomfriend. "Hello!" I greeted everyone.

They all faced me with cold eyes.

"V-Victoria, M-Mistoffelees, you need to go," Demeter commanded, trying her best to look strong in front of us.

"Nah, no need to worry, Dem," Macavity assured her, grabbing Mistoffelees and giving him a wild noogie. "We are all friends here, correct?"

I laughed at Misto's newly messed-up headfur. Munkustrap shot a look at his brother. "No touching the kittens, Macavity."

The ginger tom rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, I am familiar with those ridiculous rules of yours."

There was an uncomfortable silence. The only thing that could be heard was Demeter's unsteady breathing.

"Demeter, guess what?" I piped up. "Macavity has been teaching Mistoffelees some new tricks!"

The older queen widened her eyes in what seemed like slow motion. "Oh, nonononono," she muttered, yanking Mistoffelees towards her and holding him so close that he could barely breath.

"You have been doing _what?_" Munkustrap hissed at his brother.

Macavity shot a quick glare at me, and I ducked my head down, not wanting to receive the look. I didn't think the Jellicles would get all worked up about this.

The Hidden Paw rolled his eyes again. "No need to be discomfited, my dear brother. No harm has been done. It is an advantageous ability, but there is no purpose in possessing the power if one does not use it properly or at all." He pulled the tuxedo tom away from Demeter, who was too shocked to do anything about it. "Show them, Mistoffelees."

The amateur magician gulped and nodded his head. He caught sight of a tattered top hat at the bottom of a junk pile. Mistoffelees took a deep breath and whipped out his finger, pointing and concentrating. After a moment, the inside of the hat seemed to glow brightly, and not much later, there was a quiet mewing, and it was soon followed by more high-pitched meows.

Macavity leaned towards Misto and whispered harshly into his ear, "What did you do?"

"I-I-I," Misto stammered, "I do not know. I'll go check." He scurried over to the hat and came back to us with huge eyes.

Munkustrap, however, looked quite unimpressed. "No more games, Mistoffelees. Please leave us."

Misto shook his head rapidly. "No…look!" He held out the hat upside-down to us, and we all simultaneously gasped. Seven tiny kittens were bundled up together inside the hat, mewing softly and trying to climb up and out.

"Everlasting Cat…" Munkustrap trailed off.

I looked at the astonished Napoleon of Crime. "Macavity, you taught him how to produce kittens?"

"I did not," he responded, still gaping at the seven kittens.

I peeked inside. "Look, this one has a collar. And so does this one. I think you teleported them away from their owners. You should probably take them back."

"Um, okay." My brother turned to Macavity. "Uh, do you know how to take them back?"

"You are the one who did it. Figure it out."

"Um, okay," Misto repeated. He placed the top hat back in its original position and stepped back. He stuck out his paws in front of him and focused on the hat. A few seconds later, a glow erupted from the hat, and the mewing ceased.

Mistoffelees went to check to see if the trick had worked. He came back with a relieved expression. "Okay, they're gone."

Munkustrap let out his breath. "Well…I must admit that that was rather extraordinary."

"So…may I continue to learn magic from Macavity?" Misto asked with a sweet smile.

Munkustrap waved his paw dismissively at his brother. "Fine, fine. Nothing dangerous, though, Macavity. He is just a young tom."

Macavity grinned. "Very good." He took Misto by his shoulders and guided him to the back of the TSE-1. Demeter exhaled and loosened her grip on her mate. I tagged along with my brother and his instructor to the open space behind the old car. Once there, I sat down with my legs crossed and watched the two toms with anticipation.

The session went wonderfully—Mistoffelees learned how to shoot lightning with more control and was even able to teleport me to places other than the middle of a road. At the end of the lesson, we all went out for lunch together in the deeper areas of the junkyard.

"Do you remember what I told you?" Macavity said to my brother while we were hunting for food.

"Focus, focus, focus. And stay strong," Mistoffelees answered as if he had repeated it millions of times before.

"Good." The carroty tom dropped a pigeon in Misto's paw as a reward and threw one to me as well. I sat down by my brother, who sat next to Macavity. I rested my head on the tuxedo cat's shoulder, and he nuzzled me back.

"I hear your annual ball is coming up," Macavity began. "I have not been to one for thirteen years. Has it changed at all since I left?"

"Not exactly," I replied. "I mean, the power from the Jellicle Moon pretty much makes us do the same stuff every year: feature some special guests, do some dances, and, every five years, be mated. It is the same outline."

"Every five years, huh?" Macavity repeated.

"That is this year," Mistoffelees pointed out. "And Vicky and I are finally old enough to do it."

"And I assume you both have mates?"

"I think so." Mistoffelees turned to me. "Right, Vicky? Although I don't remember you talking much about it. You are supposed to be leading it this year, too."

I nodded. "Yes, but I don't know who yet. I will have to find someone last minute." I ducked my head down, not wanting to see the evil glint in Macavity's yellow eyes.

"You will find somebody, Vick. What about Pouncival?"

"No, he has eyes for Etcetera, and she likes him back."

"Tumblebrutus?"

"Bombalurina has taken a fancy for him."

Misto scrunched up his nose. "Bomba? Isn't she with Tugger?"

"You know Bomba. She can't stay with one tom for too long."

We both sighed in unison and watched as a wanted poster fluttered by. Macavity caught it in his paw and unrolled it.

"How many has he killed?" I inquired, not exactly wanting to know the answer.

His eyes scanned over the parchment in his paw. "Thirty-two," he replied, trying hard not to let a snicker slip out. "Eight queens and twenty-four toms."

"That's awful," Misto and I said at the same time, making us look at each other and smile a little.

"Yes, well, he will stop eventually," Macavity said, though I knew he was just saying that to make us feel better. He handed the poster over to Mistoffelees and said, "Do you think you can make this disappear to the opposite side of town?"

"I'll try." Misto took the wanted poster from him and delicately held it in his paws. His shoulders tensed as he was concentrating, and, soon enough, the parchment disappeared with a small _poof!_ I quietly applauded for him and clasped my paws together, fascinated in the powers my brother—my very own brother—possessed. I felt proud to be his twin sister.

"Well done," Macavity praised his young pupil. "That is enough for today, hm? I will walk you back to your den."

"Thank you," my brother and I said together again. Hopefully that was the last time we did that!

When we reached the clearing, all the Jellicles had gone except for Munkustrap and Demeter. Grandly standing next to them was Old Deuteronomy, and Coricopat and Tantomile stood in front of him with their usual poker faces.

"Victoria, Mistoffelees—please step away from Macavity," Old Deuteronomy ordered us.

We strode over to the Jellicles and watched intently over our wise leader's shoulder. Deuteronomy motioned for Macavity to come toward the mystic twins. "Coricopat? Tantomile?"

The twins gave a small nod and walked toward the Napoleon of Crime. Suddenly, Coricopat clapped his paws over Macavity's head while Tantomile took hold of the ginger tom's paws.

"Excuse me, but what do you think you are doing?" Macavity asked, trying to keep his voice down.

"Do not speak—"

"Or utter a sound," Tantomile finished for her brother.

Minutes later, Coricopat called over his shoulder, "We cannot reach his inner thoughts."

"A mind barrier is blocking all access to his subconscious," Tantomile explained.

Deuteronomy stared down his tomson. "Let them explore your mind, Macavity. If you want to stay here, you must put down your barrier."

Macavity rolled his eyes, an action he seemed to have always done in front of his father. "Fine."

I held Misto's paw tightly as the mysterious twins travelled deep into Macavity's mind, trying to prove whether or not he has given up his devilish ways. After what seemed to be forever, Tantomile released the ginger cat's paws and turned to face Deuteronomy. "We are receiving mixed results. It is too difficult and too early to tell whether or not Macavity has changed for the better."

"He has!" I hollered. They all twisted around to look at me, and I ducked my head down again.

"But we can't know for sure," Deuteronomy said in his deep, calm voice. "Is there any other way?"

"Well," Tantomile started.

"We _could_ dissect his brain," Coricopat completed.

"Excuse me?" Macavity interrupted, crossing his arms.

"Is there anything else you can do?" I asked the psychics.

"I am afraid not," they said simultaneously and slinked away.

I sighed and hoped that this wouldn't become a problem. I turned to Mistoffelees and whispered, "Do you think he is good?"

Misto thought about it for a moment, and then he nodded his head. "I believe he wants to become one of us again," he murmured back.

I noticed Demeter's ears were perked up. She had heard my question and Mistoffelees' answer. Slowly stepping forward, the black and gold queen extended her arm out to Macavity. She tentatively took hold of the carroty tom's paw and held it up to her face, nuzzling it affectionately.

"I believe you, Macavity," she said, struggling to swallow her fear of the Hidden Paw. "I may not forgive you for what you have done, but I believe you are not the same cat you used to be."

The yellow-eyed cat smiled. It looked more like a smirk, but I knew he didn't mean for it to be one. "Thank you."

Suddenly there was a hiss, and someone shouted out, "Etcetera! Electra! Come back this instant!"

The two kittens scowled at Jellylorum and scuttled over to Macavity. Etcetera nuzzled his leg and said, "_I_ forgive you, Macavity!"

Electra pounced on him playfully. "Me too! I think you're pretty fun for a criminal mastermind!"

Next came the acrobatic brothers, with Asparagus chasing after them. They front pawspringed away up to the Napoleon of Crime and agreed with the queens. "Yeah, it's about time we have a fun adult around here!" Pouncival told him.

"And someone other than Munkustrap to give us advice on how to deal with queens," Tumblebrutus added, giving the Jellicle Protector an innocuous glare.

Asparagus caught up to them and roughly grabbed the young toms by the shoulders. "Back inside," he commanded. "Now!"

The brothers rolled their eyes and shrugged at Macavity as if saying, "What else can we do?" before following Asparagus back to the oven.

"Hello, Macavity," a sultry voice purred behind the Napoleon of Crime. Bombalurina moved from behind Macavity to face him.

"Hello, Bombalurina. And I assume you are here to either slap me or accept me?"

"The latter," she responded and walked over to her sister Demeter.

Macavity focused his eyes on his tabby brother. "And you? You have stayed silent for a while now. It is time you spoke up, my brother."

"I don't see how I can trust you, Macavity," Munkustrap stated. "You have scarred the lives of every cat in this junkyard. You have done more wrongs than rights, therefore you can never be one of us again. I know you Macavity—you will always be the Napoleon of Crime. You don't change. You must have some motive for coming back to us, hm? What is it?"

Macavity stood his ground, not at all flustered by his brother's harsh words. "The 'Napoleon of Crime' is simply tired of fighting with you. He wishes to be a part of his old family again."

Mistoffelees unexpectedly said in a trembling voice, "H-He's lying."

We all turned to face him. I, however, was most astonished at his abrupt accusation. "What? How could you say that?"

"All those books in our den, Vicky," Mistoffelees explained, "have helped me self-teach magic. They taught me how to tell if someone is lying or not. I can sense Macavity's heart rate is speeding up at a rapid pace—a sign that he is not telling the truth. Another indication that he is lying is that he was not referring to himself as 'I' like cats normally do. Didn't you notice how he began speaking in the third person?"

"Yes, I guess," I said, hoping that there was a small chance that my brother was incorrect. "But those are small symptoms, no? They could mean anything."

"And look—his pupils are dilated," Misto pointed out, pushing through the Jellicles and standing in front of the yellow-eyed cat, who continued to stay calm.

"Those are the natural eyes of a magician," Macavity said. "If you take a look at yourself you will see your pupils are rather enlarged as well."

"_Mistoffelees_." I walked over to my brother and tugged on his arm. "Why are you suddenly turning on Macavity?" I whispered to him. "He is trying his best to fit in with the rest of us. Why won't you give him a chance?"

"I did give him a chance," Mistoffelees replied. "I want to trust him as much as you do, Vicky, but I can sense that he is lying. He has another motive for being in the junkyard."

"But how do you know—"

"I don't mean to interrupt you two kits," Macavity interjected, "but we can hear every word you are saying."

"Mistoffelees," Munkustrap said in his no-nonsense voice, "Are you one-hundred percent sure Macavity is not telling us the truth?"

Misto bit his lip and exchanged glances between the Jellicles and Macavity, not very pleased with all the pressure put on his shoulders. "Um, there is a chance that I am wrong. I can't know for sure. Sorry," he apologized and hung his head low, afraid to look directly into anybody's eyes. "Sorry, Macavity," he added and dared himself to look up into his eyes.

"It is quite alright," Macavity forgave him rather coolly.

"I will let you go for today, Macavity," Deuteronomy announced, "but we may have to have you interrogated. We will see what our tribe's psychics can do. Enjoy your day."

Munkustrap and Demeter helped Deuteronomy back to his large, secluded den. The other cats and kittens dispersed, leaving Mistoffelees and me with Macavity. I looked up at the ginger tom with kittenish eyes and asked, "Were you telling the truth? You really want to become one of us again?"

"Of course," he answered. "I would not mind waking up every morning to look forward to another day with my favorite brother-sister pair." He smiled and ruffled our headfurs. He sauntered off to the front of the clearing but called over his shoulder, "And Mistoffelees—what did I tell you again?"

"Focus, focus, focus. And stay strong," Mistoffelees reiterated, laughing at the enormous number of times he had said that.

"Good tom," Macavity said with a smirk. "Do not forget what I taught you."

"I won't," Mistoffelees called back.

I turned to my brother with a grin on my face. I couldn't contain myself anymore, so I blurted out, "You are friends with Macavity!"

Misto whipped himself around to look at me. His look was so priceless that I could not keep myself from bursting out into giggles. "You are! Do not deny it!"

He descrunchified his face and began laughing along with me. "I would not say that we are 'friends'…Maybe 'acquaintances'?"

"Sure," I responded between chortles, "let's just go with that."

Mistoffelees chuckled and craned his neck up towards the sky. "It is getting late. Want to head to the pipe?"

With perfect timing, I yawned and stretched out my limbs. "That would be nice."

We ambled over to our den and rested flat on our backs on our blankets. To the far side of the wall was not a bookcase, but rather tall piles of books only a cat as patient and smart as Misto would read. These stacks were so tall I was sometimes afraid that they would collapse onto us while we were sleeping! At the top of one of those tall, neat stacks was a forest green-covered book with the words "Human Lie Detector" on the spine. Mistoffelees was on the edge of slumber by now, so I tiptoed over to the book and opened it to a random chapter, which read, "Rule of Lying #41: Inconsistencies". It went on to give examples of discrepancies found at human court cases while witnesses or defendants told their sides of a story. It was somewhat interesting, but I could not read as well as Misto, and this book might as well have been found at a human college. I gently closed it and wiggled under my blanket. With Misto's soft breathing and humming acting as a lullaby, I gently wafted into a deep sleep.

"Victoria! Wake! Up! Now!" Adolph grunted as he repeatedly whacked me with a pillow to emphasize each syllable.

I woke up with a start, and Adolph wildly smashed the pillow against my face. "Adolph! What is it? What's wrong?"

He threw the cushion to the side, forgetting that Misto was still sound asleep. The tuxedo tom shot up and darted his eyes from side to side. He lost his stiffness once he realized it was only Macavity's ex-henchcat. "Adolph? Did Jennyanydots kick you out of her den again?"

The spotted cat shook his head vigorously and kneeled down in front of us. Adolph took my paw in his and gulped, constantly opening and closing his mouth, even though no words were coming out.

"Adolph, is there something you want to say?" I inquired sleepily.

He nodded, and it seemed as though his mouth was hanging forever before he said, "Macavity has Demeter."

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><p><strong>Mwahaha...ha.<strong>

**Thank you so much for reading! Plus, the Jellicle Ball is coming up soon. I will probably be making some changes in who dances with who.**

**Thanks to my readers and reviewers! You all make my day :)**

**Reviews are very appreciated! Stay tuned for more!**


	32. Rekitnapped

**A/N: I'm just in an updating slump, aren't I? Sorry about that. *Hopefully* this chapter will be interesting enough for you to forgive me...? Hopefully.**

**To refresh your memory, we ended the last chapter with Adolph barging into Mistoffelees and Victoria's den and saying, "Macavity has Demeter." So what exactly does he mean by that? Let us find out!**

**Enjoy :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS, only my OCs :)**

**Oh, and, um, I'm not very good with action scenes, so if you could give me some tips on that...that would be really great.**

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><p>I didn't dare turn to look at Mistoffelees in the eye, afraid that he would be giving me a ha-I-told-you-so face. I asked Adolph, "What do you mean by 'has'? Where are they?"<p>

Instead of answering, the spotted tom grabbed both my arm and Misto's arm and dragged us out of our den. "Come on. The rest of the Jellicles are already at Demeter's den."

I saw a quick glimpse of Mistoffelees, who looked just as confounded as I did. Together we dashed to the den Demeter shared with her sister Bombalurina. Inside, we nearly bumped into all the Jellicles crowded around the center of the room. I ignored all of Jellylorum and Jennyanydots' requests for me to return to my own den, and I pushed my way to the front with Mistoffelees right behind me. In the front row were Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, and Bombalurina. The tall, ruby, and usually poised queen seemed more fearful than usual. However, the most terrified of us all was the black and gold queen standing stiffly in the center with a certain carroty tom holding a razor-sharp claw at her throat. She couldn't peel her eyes away from the ginger cat that could end her life with just one swipe. I could not suppress a gasp, nor could I keep tears from welling up in my eyes. Munkustrap took hold of my shoulder and tried to haul me backwards, but I refused to leave. I squeezed Mistoffelees' paw in mine and tried my best to get a word or two out. Blinking back my tears, I said, utterly bewildered, "Macavity…why…what are you doing?"

His eyes were sharp and intense, like the old Napoleon of Crime had possessed him once again. I didn't wait for him to answer, and I continued speaking as bitter tears sprinkled across my cheeks. "I…I thought you were good. You said you were good, and you said you weren't lying. You said you would love to be a part of this tribe again, to wake up every morning and be able to see Mistoffelees and me." I sniffled, wiped a tear away, and delicately placed a paw on my diamond collar. "You were lying this entire time? You only came back for Demeter? You are here to take revenge on the Jellicles? Is that it?"

"Victoria, Mistoffelees, go back to your den," Munkustrap ordered. "We will handle this."

"No!" I shouted, stomping my hind paw so hard that the furniture shook. "I want to know! Tell me, Macavity! Tell me why you really came!"

The Hidden Paw placed more pressure on Demeter's neck, causing her to whimper softly. Munkustrap took a step forward, ready to pounce on his brother with all his might, but stopped himself.

"Fine, I will tell you," Macavity hissed, another smirk playing on his lips. "You may blame my sudden change in behavior on my dear brother over there."

"I had absolutely nothing to do with this, Macavity, and you know it," the grey and silver tabby defended himself.

"On the contrary, my brother, you and I both know you did." The yellow-eyed cat shifted his focus to me again. "I had good intentions when coming here, Victoria. If it wasn't for your so-called 'Jellicle Protector' here, I would have kept my new perspective of the Jellicles for what could have been the rest of my long life. You should be aware that late last night, my dear brother decided to have a little chat with me. Now, I would recite the talk word for word, but I believe most of those phrases should not be said in front of you kittens."

"So? What does that have to do with anything?" Mistoffelees snapped at his instructor.

Macavity smiled sinisterly. "Why don't you ask Munkustrap?"

Misto and I turned to our Jellicle Protector. "Munkustrap?" Mistoffelees said. "What did you say to Macavity last night?"

Munkustrap sighed deeply and avoided eye contact with us. "I said that he was a no-good tom who would never be loved by anyone. He would never be trusted and will always be hated. He will never have true friends or a family, and I wouldn't care if a pollicle chewed him to bits right in front of me. He doesn't deserve to live, and Demeter wouldn't mind if he dropped dead right then and there."

The waterworks continued to spray out of my red, puffy eyes. "Munku…why would you ever say such a thing? Macavity was acting just like a real Jellicle—"

"That's just it, Victoria," Mistoffelees interrupted me. "Macavity was just acting like a Jellicle. He wasn't _actually _a Jellicle."

"No! H-He was—he is!" I turned to Macavity with my tear-stained face. "Please tell me, Macavity. I thought you had changed. Please let Demeter go."

"Why should I respect the cats that hate me the most?" Macavity hissed back. "You had this coming, Munkustrap. And now your lovely little mate here shall pay the price." He pressed harder against Demeter's neck, deepening the indents in her skin and eventually drawing some blood.

Munkustrap growled threateningly, but he knew that if he took one more step forward, Macavity would not hesitate to claw Demeter's throat out.

"NO!" I screamed. "You sicken me, Macavity! I let you stay here—we _all_ let you stay here—and yet you betrayed us. I cannot believe you would do such a thing!"

The Hidden Paw slackened his grip around Demeter's neck. "Victoria—"

"NO! I do not want to hear any of your excuses! Let Demeter go RIGHT NOW! Please."

To my surprise, Macavity dropped Demeter onto the ground. Jennyanydots rushed to the sobbing queen's aid and pressed the wet dishtowel that she seemed to always have been carrying around with herself against the poor queen's punctured neck. Munkustrap and Rum Tum Tugger rounded up their wicked brother, but Macavity whizzed past them, and, before I knew it, I felt my feet disconnect with the ground, and I could feel the cool breeze whirling around me and whipping my skin. I had no idea what was happening—the second I saw Macavity dart towards me, I had instinctually shut my eyes, and I hadn't opened them since. Opening my eyes a sliver, I watched my tail float in the air from the strong winds, and another cat's tail did as well. Shouts from other Jellicles could be heard from behind me. Finally, I opened my eyes all the way, and I nearly stopped breathing. Macavity had picked me up and was running far from the Jellicles.

He was kitnapping me again.

Macavity was running so fast that the wind caught my breath, making me unable to talk, to move—to do anything. I simply watched the Jellicles chasing after us shrink farther and farther back until they were so tiny I had to squint to see them. My heart rate went up each time I glanced at the Napoleon of Crime. I tried to meet his gaze, to look deep within him and see what the purpose of this action was, but he wouldn't look back—he was always staring straight ahead, setting his sights on something in the distance that I couldn't see.

I didn't protest, nor did I fight back or claw his arm. Maybe he meant no harm. Sometimes I liked to think he was doing everything for me, and he was only trying to make me happy. It had been such a long while since he last had someone to love. Macavity was fighting against loneliness, and I was his secret weapon.

I was hoping he hadn't turned back to his criminal ways, really. I bet that in just one minute, he would realize his mistake and set me down, telling me to run back to the Jellicles and let them know how sorry he was.

Alas, he continued to run, and I realized that I was letting myself be kitnapped by Macavity. If I didn't do something soon, I would never be able to escape his clutches again. I would never see the Jellicles again.

In my sweetest, most innocent voice, I craned my neck up to face Macavity—even forcing myself to look into his yellow eyes—and said, "Macavity, I think we need to—EEEE!" I squealed as he threw me into a dingy building, forcing me to land on all fours. "This…" I stood up and brushed the dirt from my pristine fur while taking a good look at the familiar-looking halls, walls, and rooms. "…This looks just like the warehouse. Is it?"

Macavity roughly grabbed my arm and dragged me down the empty hallway. "All the buildings in London look alike. This is just another one of them."

I wrenched my arm away from him and firmly planted my feet to the dusty floor. "We are completely alone. Now tell me why you took me away from the Jellicles. That junkyard is my real home."

"Yes, you are correct—we _are _alone," he replied, ignoring nearly everything I had said.

I eyed him suspiciously but shook any possible meaning of that sentence out of my head. "I think…I think…we need to talk."

"Talk…about…what?" he responded mockingly, snaking his arms around my waist from behind me.

"Tell me why you tried to kill Demeter," I demanded, but my voice didn't have much of a threatening tone to it.

"Because I do not need her anymore," he murmured into my ear. "Do you know why I agreed to return to the Jellicle tribe?"

"I-I thought you wanted to be a part of your family again. I thought you wanted to be good."

"I figured that if I was a Jellicle once again," Macavity explained with a small smile, "there would be an endless amount of time I could spend with you."

"But you turned on us."

"It was not something I had planned. Every word my brother said to me was taking a knife in the back."

"You…you have feelings, Macavity. I do not believe that the rest of the Jellicles know that."

"Of course I do. What do they think I am—an inanimate object?"

I laughed and turned to face him, but my smile didn't last very long. "Because of what you did…they will most likely never let you back, Macavity."

He dismissively waved his paw at me. "That does not matter to me. I still have you."

I giggled again until I realized what he was actually saying. "You will have to let me go now, Macavity. The Jellicles will come searching for me. I might as well leave now."

I turned toward the exit, but Macavity seized my wrist. "You are staying here with me," he declared.

"I cannot stay, Macavity. I'm sorry."

He reached for my other wrist, and I was too scared to pull away—too scared of his reaction, that is. "But you will. I get what I want, remember? And you best not disobey me."

This was the old Mac I had feared and despised. I made a weak attempt at shimmying my wrist out of his strong grip. "Please…let me go."

Macavity responded by releasing one wrist and slapping me hard across the face. The moment his paw made contact with my cheek in a harmful manner, I could just hear a sly voice whisper into my head, _"The roof…" _

Those two words had already explained enough. Just a few seconds later, my vision began to blur, and it felt like a huge earthquake was striking the building. My knees wobbled and collapsed under me, causing me to topple to the floor. I blinked a few times to make myself snap out of this dream-like state, but the floor continued to teeter about. I cringed when Macavity's face hovered over mine, and when he stretched his paw out to me, I let out a long, ear-splitting squeal. I felt beads of sweat slowly dribble down my forehead, and I suffered through the torture of the liquid gradually trickling down my now extremely pale face. A tingling sensation overcame me, and—saving me from the horror of the erratic dripping—my face turned numb, eventually spreading to the rest of my body. I indolently waved my arm around, searching for Macavity's paw. As soon as I came in contact with it, I squeezed it hard with every pulse in my body until I had no energy left. The usually monotonous voice in my head was now bellowing at me, although I couldn't make out the words it was screaming out. Most likely it was commanding me to do something terrible.

Just then, a petite tuxedo cat barged through the entrance of the warehouse and stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of me lying in the middle of the hallway with Macavity stroking my fur.

I blinked a few times before realizing the black and white object before me was a cat. I scrambled backwards, and a shrill cry escaped my lips.

"What did you do to her?" Mistoffelees asked through gritted teeth, seething with rage. Before Macavity could answer, my brother demanded, "Give her back now! If you don't, you won't even be able to recognize yourself once I am through with you!"

Through my blurred vision, I could just see Macavity's yellow orbs roll. "Nice threat. And what exactly do you plan to do with me?"

Mistoffelees' response was having a flurry of sparks and flashes erupt from his paws, a pale, yellow glow surrounding both his white paw and black one. "I will shoot you," he hissed at the ginger tom.

Macavity cackled his signature laugh, causing my ears to twitch uncontrollably. "And I will redirect it," he replied.

"But it won't end there," Mistoffelees bravely spat back.

The carroty tom stood up, and, before I knew what was going on, he zapped us to a filthy blind alley. "I'm shaking," he responded sardonically.

"You should be."

"You do not frighten me, Mistoffelees."

"I will after a quick brawl."

"Don't even bother—"

"Stop! Stop it!" I interjected, clamping my paws over my ears. "You're giving me a HEADACHE!"

Mistoffelees glanced over at me with somber eyes then snorted at Macavity with contempt. "How appropriate. I can't possibly imagine what you have put her through in the past two months."

"What are you implying?" Macavity retorted, piercing his yellow eyes into Misto's dark brown ones.

"I know _everything_ you did to her!" Mistoffelees hollered at his former magic instructor. His booming voice made me curl up in a ball and whimper noisily. He noticed my reaction and took a deep breath to calm himself down before continuing. "If it weren't for Vicky convincing me to trust you, I would never have allowed you to stay in the junkyard with us."

"How do you know?" the Napoleon of Crime hissed back. He whipped his head around to look at me. "What did you tell him?"

I felt too dizzy to respond, so I merely stayed in my balled-up position on the dirty ground. It wasn't until I felt his back paw painfully connect with my shoulder that I was able to utter a sound, and that sound was a deafening scream.

There was a blinding white light, and once it disappeared, some of the fur on Macavity's left arm had blackened tips, as if it were singed.

"Victoria didn't tell me anything!" Misto yelled, his energy equal to the lightning he just shot at Macavity. "It was your tomson. Plato told me how you kitnapped Victoria and how the Jellicles didn't know about it. You should just be grateful Victoria didn't rat you out to the whole tribe. She is too kind for her own good."

Normally I would have protested, but for now, I uncurled myself and stretched my limbs out, waiting for the voices in my mind to die away.

"Well. Now that my pollicle-of-a-tomson has leaked the truth," Macavity began with a heavy sigh, "I might as well confess that your precious Jellicle friends were not roadkill." The yellow-eyed cat grinned spine-chillingly. "If you know what I mean."

The tuxedo cat dug his claws deep into the palm of his paw. "Why am I not surprised?" Mistoffelees said, clenching and unclenching his fists. "I knew from the start that that wasn't the doing of a human or machine. There are only two causes for a Jellicle's death: aging, or murdered by you."

Macavity laughed again. "How right you are. Would you care to be another statistic?"

Mistoffelees growled. "We can end this now Macavity if you would just let us go and agree never to harm the Jellicles again."

The sly smirk drawn on the ginger cat's face worried me deeply. Surely they wouldn't get into a fight…?

"We _can _end this now," he said, and he suddenly shot out his arm, sending a bolt of lightning from his fingertips.

Mistoffelees, not knowing how to redirect lightning like Macavity did, flung his arm out straight in front of him as well, another glaring light blasting out of his paw in the Napoleon of Crime's direction. The two streams of energy met halfway. An incredible explosion sent them both reeling backwards.

And then they got physical—Mistoffelees swung his arm at Macavity. The carroty tom ducked and aimed for knocking the smaller tom off his feet. The tuxedo cat jumped backward without delay and emitted more sparks and lightning from his bare paws one after another. Macavity redirected each one and stepped forward with each deflection. Unbeknownst to Mistoffelees, Macavity was now directly in front of his face. My brother was not able to see him clearly with all the flashes of light, and now the Mystery Cat's fist was balled-up and aimed at Mistoffelees' jaw. The small tom was sent staggering back, but he refused to give up. He front-snap-kicked the older cat square in the chest. Macavity hissed and bared his fangs. The Monster of Depravity clawed my brother's forehead. Luckily, Misto stepped back before Macavity's claws could go in any deeper.

Seeing blood drip down from Misto's face snapped me back to my senses. I couldn't let my brother get hurt—I would never let anything like that happen to him. All my life he had been protecting me, and now it was time I helped him.

I hastily stood up and shook all the numbness out of my body. I forced my throat to open up, and I hollered out, "Stop! Please, just stop!"

Of course, that was completely ineffective. More bright light surrounded me, and an explosive noise blared stridently. I covered my face with my paws and pressed myself against a brick building.

Once the light faded away, I cautiously peered over my shoulder. The breathing of two powerful but very different toms could be heard. One tom's breathing was low-pitched and panting. The other cat had short, sharp gasps, struggling to breathe.

I blinked a few times in an attempt to correct my vision. The images became sharper until I could clearly evaluate the scene.

Mistoffelees was sprawled on the ground, eyes open, still conscious. His right arm was resting farther away from the rest of his body, and every time he shifted a muscle or turned around, he wouldn't let his arm budge an inch.

"Misto?" I called, but I was immediately silenced by a paw clapping over my mouth. Macavity wound his arm around my waist and held me back as I thrashed about and struggled to free myself from his grasp.

"Mistoffelees!" I screamed, my voice muffled by Macavity's paw.

The tuxedo tom heard my cry and scrambled up, making sure not to move his injured arm too much. The line of red blood visibly contrasted with the pale tone of his face as it dribbled down his temple.

"Let her go," he demanded, his voice much stronger than I had expected it to be.

"How about…I keep her, and you can run back to your pathetic little tribe," Macavity suggested with a smirk, but to him it wasn't a suggestion—it was a vision he would bring to reality.

"Go," I said to my brother, who looked at me with question marks in his eyes. "Go, Misto. You're hurt."

"No. I am not leaving you with this monster." He hissed at Macavity, but that one hiss used up all of the energy he had left, and he collapsed to the ground again.

"Mistoffelees!" I screeched, tears trickling down on both sides of my face. "Please, answer! Please!"

But he had fallen unconscious from exhaustion. I continued to call his name, but I received no reply from the young tuxedo cat.

"Shh," Macavity hushed me, massaging my neck. "Shh…"

I was unaware of the trick he was pulling, even though he had done it to me before. I guess Macavity had a way with the nervous system, because I just couldn't keep my eyes from drooping lower…and lower…and lower….

I noticed right away when I opened my eyes that I was being restrained. A sense of restiveness overwhelmed me, and I struggled against the five straps pinning my body down on what looked like an execution table in the front right corner of the room. Twisting my head to the side, I saw Mistoffelees was strapped down as well on a similar table in the left corner of the room. A ray of light casted streaks of yellow on the dull floor, signaling morning.

The knob to the entrance rotated, and in stepped none other than the Napoleon of Crime. The creak of the door was enough to wake up Mistoffelees. He began to jolt up and out of the table only to be held back by the straps.

"What the…?" the amateur magician trailed off, tipping his chin down at an uncomfortable angle to look down at the rest of his body.

"Not to worry," Macavity assured him while conjuring up a bucket of water and a dishtowel. "You are safe here." He strode over to the young tom and sat on the table by his head. After dipping the towel into the water, the ginger tom soaked Mistoffelees' forehead and dabbed at the string of blood with the wet dishcloth. With a quick snap of his fingers the bucket and towel vanished. He then proceeded to unbuckle the second and third straps from the top to free Mistoffelees' arm. Macavity inspected it for a while, and, after a few winces from Misto, the Hidden Paw announced, "Your arm is sprained. Hold still." He placed his carroty paws on Misto's arm, and I could just see a glow emit either from Macavity's paws or Mistoffelees' arm. Moments later, Macavity bent the black and white arm at every joint to ensure it was properly healed.

"Better?"

Mistoffelees looked up at his healer and slowly nodded, too stunned to speak. He was too astonished to even fight back when Macavity began buckling him down again.

"And how are you feeling, Victoria?" Macavity walked over to me and sat by my left arm. "Are you alright?"

I closed my eyes to trap a tear that was escaping, but it slid down my cheek anyway. "I just want to go home. Please take me home."

He dug his claws into my arm. I cried out softly, and Mistoffelees tensed at my squeal. "You know that was not the question. I am asking you how you are feeling."

I swallowed hard and answered, "I was feeling better until I saw you hurt Mistoffelees. Now I feel absolutely awful. I want you to—"

He rudely slapped his paw over my mouth. "I heard you; no need to repeat. You are living with me, and that is final." The Monster of Depravity removed his paw and smirked at my quivering bottom lip. "It is not as if you have a choice. This is how your life shall be, Victoria."

"Then let Mistoffelees go. If you won't free me, then liberate him. He has done nothing wrong."

Macavity laughed—definitely _not_ music to my ears. "No—I have already several things planned for him."

"What 'things'?" Mistoffelees asked with furrowed brows.

"Well, let us just say things that your lovely sister here will not want to have explained to her." He widened his smirk and petted my headfur lovingly—well, as loving as Macavity can get.

"Tell us," I commanded him. "Please," I added once I saw him frown at my tone of voice.

The ginger tom heaved a sigh. "I simply need him to be my test subject for my magic and my means of…torture. Nothing you need to be concerned about."

"How can I not be concerned? I don't want Misto hurt," I sobbed, and Macavity caught each tear as they slithered down my white cheeks.

"Do not worry," he repeated. "No harm will come to you—as long as you behave."

"I don't _care_ if you bring harm to me—I do not want you bringing harm to Mistoffelees." I turned my face away so that he wouldn't be able to see the abundance of tears streaming down and diving off of my chin.

"This is ridiculous, Macavity," Mistoffelees piped up. "I thank you for healing me—even though you _were_ the one who caused it—but you must free us. Is there any point in keeping Victoria and me locked up in here?"

"Like I said, you are essential to my experimentations. As for Victoria…" He shot me a wry smile. "…I have been meaning to raise an utterly faultless tomson to take over my position in a few decades. It is not certain whether or not Plato will be sane enough—or rather _insane _enough—" He chuckled. "—to rejoin me. If luck is not on our side, then we might as well be prepared…"

"Wh-What are you saying?" I asked him, even though I had a pretty good idea of what he was suggesting.

He got up and walked to the door, leaving Misto and I with wide eyes. "You might as well begin thinking of names for your new kitten." And with one smirk, he disappeared.

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><p><strong>Hmm...I was not exactly expecting that to happen. It was slightly a last-minute thing for me, and I SORT OF thought it through...sorta kinda ;) You can tell I had writer's block xD<strong>

**What are your thoughts on it? I'm sorry if I made anything confusing. You may ask any questions through a review, or you can PM me and I will probably respond in, like, five seconds. **

**Reviews are very much appreciated! And thank you to sarbear2255 on the critique about contractions! I'm still working on it...looking back, I do have a bit too many non-contractions in this chapter...hopefully the next chapter will be better :)**

**So if you want to just share your thoughts on this story, I would love that! Plus, I really need help with my action/fighting scenes (this IS my first fanfic), so critique on that would be wonderful! **

**Thanks for reading! Next update may not be up for about four days. Stay tuned!**


	33. The Day Before

**A/N: My goodness, I don't even remember the last time I updated. Sorry about that :( I kind of stuffed a bunch of things into this one chapter. I got so caught up in it that it is sort of lacking in details :/ So please tell me what you think! **

**To Bombastrap: Bwahahaha...ha...ha. Read this chapter to find out! Thanks for reading and reviewing ;)**

**To sarbear2255: Where this story is going is slightly a mystery to me, too. I have several ideas that will take place after the Jellicle Ball, but each will take me down a different road and will have a completely different ending than another road. But I have to make a decision soon, so we shall find out! Thank you for the review!**

**As a refresher...Mistoffelees and Victoria are trapped in Macavity's new and improved warehouse, strapped down to tables in an empty room. Macavity just explained to them that Mistoffelees would be used as a test monkey and that he wanted a kitten with Victoria in order to have an heir :p I hope you enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS; it belongs to the amazing Andrew Lloyd Webber, T.S. Eliot, and the RUG. I only own my OCs ;D**

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><p>I called after him, "Macavity! Explain what you mean! Come back and explain!" But the Napoleon of Crime and I both knew perfectly what he was implying. And then, after a brief moment of silence, I completely broke down and cried out, "9, 1 13, 19 15, 19 15 18 18 25, 13 9 19 20 15." <em>[I am so sorry, Misto.]<em> And I just had to wail it out in code because I was too ashamed to say it in front of him.

He shut his eyes and inhaled, exhaled, inhaled…exhaled. "I'm sorry too, Vicky."

"We'll find a way, Misto. I know it."

My brother clenched his teeth and balled up his paws into fists. "No. We lost. There is nothing we can do. We're trapped in here. We might as well make the best of it."

I thought back to the days when I had felt like that—utterly hopeless. "Another Jellicle will come and—"

"And be killed by Macavity?" Mistoffelees finished for me, a hint of anger—although I was not sure who it was directed at—laced into his tone of voice. "We are practically leading the Jellicles to find us—and to find Macavity."

I shook my head from side to side, refusing to believe anything he was saying. "Don't let go of that small token of hope that is left."

Mistoffelees sighed, possibly annoyed by my constant optimism. "Hope is a distraction. We can't just lie here all day and wait for Hope to come by and magically save us."

_Magic._ "Mistoffelees, you are magical," I stated rather dumbly.

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "Yes, Victoria, I think we have already established that. And I can't break us out with magic; these restrains aren't even the slightest bit loose. I can barely curl and uncurl my fingers. What good would that do?"

"Can you teleport us back to the junkyard? Or at least out of these restraints?"

He shut his eyes and concentrated hard, clenching his fists until his knuckles turned as white as my fur. Mistoffelees finally let out a deep sigh and relaxed his muscles. "No good."

I exhaled as well, and a sob choked out of me from nowhere. "What do you think the kitten will look like?"

Mistoffelees turned his head to look at me. "Huh?"

"My kitten. What color do you think his coat will be?"

Misto dropped his head back down against the table and stared up at the ceiling. I was half-hoping he would deny the fact that I would be a mother soon, but instead he played along. "I don't know. Some creamy alabaster kind of thing?"

"With copper spots?"

"Maybe. Sort of like Plato."

I nodded. "That wouldn't be half-bad. What about his eyes? What color would they be?"

Misto thought about this for a moment and then said, "Maybe grey with a ring of yellow within it. It would be a combination of yours and Macavity's irises."

I batted my eyelashes at nothing in particular and responded, "I think I would like that. It would be like having sunflowers in your eyes." I closed my eyes and took long, shaky breaths. "And the name? Macavity said I should start thinking up of some names. What do you think of 'Aallotar'?"

"Hm…how about 'Dijon'?"

I wrinkled my nose. "Like the mustard?"

He laughed. "No, like the French city."

I mouthed a silent "Oh" and continued contemplating names. "Joaquin?"

"Qadir?"

"Otis?"

"…Macavity Jr.?"

I burst into a fit of giggles, but it came out sounding forced. "No, thank you."

He let out a small chuckle so incredibly unnatural that I felt like the old Misto was no longer here with me. Twisting my head to the side, I said, "And you? You're not nervous about this at all? Am I the only one here having an inner anxiety attack?"

"No," Misto confessed, heaving yet another sigh. "I…I'm terrified, but fear won't help me. The only good thing about this is that we're both here. We're not alone. Right?"

I managed a small smile, but it came nowhere even close to reaching my grey eyes. "You're right. Do you think we'll make it?"

"Together: just barely. But we will."

Images of my dearest friends and family popped into my mind, filling my thoughts with sweet memories and joyful tunes. "If only I could go to one last Ball. I was expecting this year's to be the most special of them all. There was so much I was looking forward to. Can you believe in just one day the rest of the Jellicle tribe will be singing melodies and dancing their hearts out under the influence of the Jellicle Moon?"

"No way will they be doing the ball without us, Victoria. Maybe after you've had your…erm…kitten, we can convince Macavity to let us go. Then we can throw the Ball."

My eyes became glossed over with the tears that were gradually building up before flooding out. "But then I'll never have a mate! Who would want to when my first mate was Macavity? I would be a disgrace to the Jellicles. No one would want me there."

"Except for me," Mistoffelees corrected.

"I'm sorry, Misto, but do you really think you will be in any condition to return to the junkyard after all the experiments Macavity is going to test on you?" I blurted out.

Silence. _Oh, you walked right into that one, Victoria_, I scolded myself. _Take it back. Tell Misto you're sorry, that everything will be alright._

And I did apologize, though it came out in the weakest voice by any means possible. He accepted my apology, but we said nothing after that. A dead silence hung in the air so thickly you would be able to feel it weighing down on your shoulders.

After a short catnap, Macavity barged into the room again with a can of tuna and a clean, silver fork. He undid the two top straps, allowing me to sit up while being bent at the waist. He stabbed the watery tuna with the fork and literally shoved it into my mouth. I nearly choked on the dead fish as it was stuffed into the back of my throat. He patted my back roughly and patiently waited for my coughing fit to pass. After Macavity finished feeding me, he kissed my left temple lightly and strapped me back down, then exited without giving a meal to Mistoffelees, who had been staring wide-eyed at us the entire time.

As dusk neared, I decided that I would just sleep my troubles away. I gave a quick good night to Misto, who muttered something inaudible back, and drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

"Wake up, my angel."

I refused to open my eyes and instead shook my head.

"It is mid-afternoon. You are sleeping your life away."

_Maybe that would be better._ I reluctantly parted my eyelids and was met with a snickering Macavity gazing down at me. Every strap had been unbuckled, so I sat up and crossed my legs under myself. Macavity dropped a dead mouse onto my paw. "Eat."

I sunk my teeth into the tender meat and slowly chewed the larger bits, trying to take up as much time as possible. Once I politely wiped my mouth with my paw, Macavity helped me down and began guiding me out the door. But he was hoping I wouldn't notice a certain black and white tom was no longer there.

"Wait." I halted, forcing him to stop as well. "Where is Mistoffelees?"

"What does it matter?" the ginger cat rudely snapped back.

"He is my brother, and I love him very much. I want him to be safe, that's all," I squeaked.

Macavity swung open the wooden door and didn't respond, leaving me to ponder where Misto may have been trapped. I looked at every label on each door, but most were old and had been scratched out. As we winded through the halls, two burly toms ambled past us with a belt of weapons around their waists. They stopped to salute the Napoleon of Crime and then continued with their patrolling. _I don't remember them being here_, I thought to myself. A few seconds later we passed by a white and grey-striped tom with yet another belt that pocketed too many varieties of knives to count. Without warning, he whipped out his arm and grabbed a hold of my headfur, jolting me backwards.

"Who's this pretty queen?" the tom—maybe early to mid-twenties—asked Macavity in a mocking tone.

"Victoria," I replied for myself, brushing his paw away from my headfur. "Who are you?"

"Victoria, this is Hammitt, my newest henchcat," Macavity answered.

My eyes were beginning to feel sore from all this widening. "Wh-What?"

"Yes, I have decided to let Plato keep my old henchcats, and I have recruited some new ones," the Hidden Paw explained. "At twenty-three, Hammitt is my finest knife-thrower."

I gulped and gave a small curtsy to avoid being impolite (and the target of abuse). "I will try not to get in your way, then."

Hammitt chuckled and asked his boss, "She a henchcat?"

I couldn't help but laugh at that. Macavity shot me a glare, and I immediately shut my mouth.

"I do not hire queens. They are too much of a distraction," Macavity replied. "I am in need of an heir."

"Don't you have a tomson? Plato? What about him?" Hammitt inquired.

"It is always important to have another tom to fall back on," Macavity responded with a smirk before leading me away. Hammitt watched as the Hidden Paw dragged me down the hallway to who-knows-where. I glanced at him over my shoulder, and his eyes met mine. He looked sorry for me, but turned and walked away nevertheless.

"Wait!" I shouted after him. "Do you know where my brother is? Tuxedo cat, sixteen, about my height?"

Macavity whacked my head and called to his henchcat, "Don't answer that."

"He's in the—"

"What did I say?" the yellow-eyed cat hissed at Hammitt. "Resume to your duties."

The henchcat discreetly rolled his eyes and saluted his boss before marching away. The ginger tom continued to yank me down the hall and finally flung me into a bedroom.

"Stay here," he commanded. "I will be paying your brother a short visit."

Before I could protest, Macavity locked the door and left, trapping me in the spacious room. I scrunched up my nose as I peered around the room. I tried to imagine it as a kitten's pen. A dusty bed and a window were all that occupied the space. I stood on top of the springy bed and peeked out the small window, though there wasn't much of a view—just a brick building from across the dark alleyway. _Maybe I can pound my fists against the glass hard enough to shatter it. I can escape and come back with help to free Mistoffelees._ I swung my arm back, ready to hammer my fist against the window with as much power as I could muster up, but, being the delicate kitten I am, I was too afraid to face the pain and blood that would most likely follow. Sighing deeply, I was about to kneel back down until I caught sight of a cat's silhouette strutting down the alley with something occasionally reflecting light from around his waist.

No doubt it was the Rum Tum Tugger. I knocked on the glass window to get his attention, and I could hear him quicken his pace until the barely audible sound of footsteps ceased. When he stepped under the window, only his hazel eyes and black nose could be seen, given the height of the window. His eyes widened slightly, and he waved his hand at me in a shooing motion, indicating that I should stand back. I obey and step all the way back to the opposite wall. Moments later, glass shards spewed everywhere across the bed, and Tugger called out my name in a hushed tone. I brushed the pieces of glass off the bed carefully as to not cut my paws, and then I stuck half my body out the window and let him carry me out. He set me on the ground, and I wound my arms around him tightly.

"Thank the Everlasting Cat, you are here, Tugger," I cried into his fluffy mane. "Thank you so much."

The Rum Tum Tugger dropped the crowbar he used to smash the window and dusted me off. "No problem, Vick. Always glad to help. Where's that magical twin of yours?"

"I don't know. Macavity is going to use him as a test subject for his experiments. No one will tell me where he is located, but Macavity said that he was going to pay him a short visit, so he will be back anytime now."

"Okay, then we need to be fast." Tugger pulled me to the front of the new warehouse opened the front door. We stealthily inched towards every door and pressed our ears against the wall, listening to every subtle noise and voice. None of them were Macavity's or Misto's, just a bunch of rowdy henchcats that were off-duty. Not long after I had reentered the building did we hear a gruff voice behind us.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Tugger whipped himself around and pushed me back. "Go," he commanded me.

"Are you sure—"

"Go, go!" he yelled just as Macavity lunged at him. I scurried off and opened every door I saw. No Mistoffelees. I knew if I didn't find Mistoffelees in time, Macavity just might kill his brother. After scanning through each and every room, I rushed up the stairs to the second floor. I checked about four more rooms before coming across a stainless steel door. Swinging it open, I came face to face with a LaPerm henchcat, much like Adolph, but with an even longer coat that was mostly reddish-orange.

"H-Hi," I greeted him in a small voice. I ducked my head to avoid looking into his pernicious eyes. If looks could kill I would have dropped dead right then and there.

Behind him I saw a glimpse of a black and white tom strapped down to an inclined table. _Mistoffelees!_

"Victoria?" my brother called, the henchcat blocking his view of me.

I attempted to make my way past the orange tom, moving side to side, but he stepped in front of me each time. It was all beginning to look like a choreographed dance. As I waltzed this way and that, I took his paw and held it over my head. I twirled around and around until I managed to slip inside the room, and then I let go and ran over to Mistoffelees before the henchcat even knew what had just happened. I smiled sweetly, but inside I was laughing like a maniac—laughing at what a fool he was for falling for that!

"Thank you for the dance!" I said, giving him a little curtsy. "But I really should be on my way now."

The henchcat finally regained his senses and grabbed me by the waist as I began unbuckling Mistoffelees' restraints. "I don't think so," he snarled, pulling me back, but I firmly held onto the straps. I wasn't going to let go anytime soon. He was pulling so hard that by now my entire body was parallel to the floor, but I refused to release my grip. I stretched one arm as far as it could go to unbuckle yet another strap just as the henchcat yanked me away. Mistoffelees undid the rest himself and jumped off the table, but he knew better than to attempt to shoot lightning at the LaPerm, for the henchcat could easily use me as his shield. Alternatively, he seized my shoulders and struggled to pull me away from the older tom. When Misto got close enough, though, he was able to place a paw on the henchcat's forehead and send a shock through his body. The henchcat froze right away and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

I wrapped my arms around Misto's neck and squeezed him hard. "Are you okay? Did Macavity do anything to you?"

"No, no, I'm fine, but he was this close to dissecting me when he heard the sound of glass shattering." He held me out at arm's length and asked, "What was that anyway?"

"Tugger is here! He's downstairs right now, having a brawl with Macavity," I answered.

"We need to help him," Mistoffelees said, pulling me to the doorway. I stopped for a second to look at the henchcat sprawled across the floor. It was Misto's first kill.

"That's a shame," I remarked. "He wasn't a bad dancer."

Mistoffelees rolled his eyes and jerked me through the doorway. "He's not dead, Vicky. Trust me. He is still breathing. Let's just get out of here before he realizes we are missing."

I led my brother down the stairs and meandered through the halls until we found the exit/entrance. Tugger and Macavity were still wrestling in the hallway, hissing and growling at each other. I was just thankful there wasn't as much blood as I thought there would have been. Both toms had a few bloody scratches here and there, but nothing too serious. Mistoffelees and I tore Tugger away from Macavity before they strangled each other to death.

"Tugger, we need to leave," Mistoffelees said, holding the Maine Coon back.

"What, you thought I would just open the door and escort you out the building?" Macavity said with yet another one of his infamous smirks. "Don't keep your hopes up, kitten."

"If you don't let us go now, the rest of the Jellicles will find us, and you will then be outnumbered," the tuxedo tom pointed out.

Macavity scowled at the young tom. "I don't see why I ever agreed to become your mentor. You are just a—"

"Macavity! No need for harsh words," I interjected. Even though Tugger was Macavity's younger brother, I felt like I knew the ginger tom the most out of us three, even though I haven't lived with him for my whole life like Tugger and Munkustrap had. I believed that I really did have the power to make Macavity feel other emotions, to have new judgments and decisions. _With the right choice of words, I can get us out of here safely…_

I held out my paw to the yellow-eyed cat and ignored Tugger trying to jerk me backward.

"One last dance?" I offered.

He took my paw and drew me in. I placed my free paw on his shoulder, and he positioned one on my waist. And we danced. _1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3._ We swept across the hallway, executing our steps perfectly. Misto and Tugger merely stared at us in utter shock, but didn't bother getting in our way. Minutes flew by, and I finally worked up the courage to stop. Macavity kissed my forehead and roughly pushed me towards the exit. He then called after us, "I can assure you that was not our last one, Victoria."

Tugger took one last swing at his brother with as much force as possible, but Macavity vanished into thin air before the Maine Coon's fist made contact with his face.

Mistoffelees yanked on his arm. "Come on, Tugger. The Jellicles are waiting for us."

The Rum Tum Tugger spun on his heel and bared his teeth at me. _At me!_ "What the heck was that, Victoria?"

I responded with a huff and continued running towards the exit. We jogged along the sidewalk and crossed the roads with caution, arriving at the junkyard gates at last.

I finally answered, "It was a dance. A goodbye. A farewell. Or, at least, for now, he says."

"Well, it got us out of there, so thank you, Vicky," Mistoffelees said, hugging me tight. Tugger sighed and joined the embrace.

"Thanks, Tugger," Mistoffelees added. "If you hadn't come along, I would have been dissected, and, well, Vicky here would be carrying a kit."

"I am not going to even ask," Tugger said, shaking his head.

"I think it would be best if you didn't," Mistoffelees commented.

I laughed—_really_ laughed—and gave them both a tight squeeze before letting go. We dashed through the open gates and sprinted to the center of the clearing. It was seemed to be around nine or ten o' clock at night, and all the Jellicles, save the kittens, were wide awake, worried sick. They were all gathered around or on the TSE-1, and when they saw us safe and sound, all the Jellicles seemed to sigh collectively.

"Everlasting Cat, it seemed like you were gone for years!" Jennyanydots cried as she bundled us up in her arms. Munkustrap gave his younger brother a pat on the back before heading over to us. He patiently waited as Misto and I exchanged greetings and "Yes, I am alright"s with Alonzo, Cassandra, Jellylorum, and Asparagus. He then pulled us over and demanded that we tell him what happened, who got hurt, and how we got out.

Mistoffelees and I shared a glance, and it was clear to both of us that if I told the story, I might just break down in tears. "Macavity kept us trapped in his new warehouse," Misto began. "He said I would be his experimental subject and wanted to make a mother out of Vicky."

I buried my face into my brother's shoulder, feeling horrifically ashamed when listening to the way he said it.

"He separated us and was about to inject some poisons into me when we heard a smash," Mistoffelees continued, his voice quavering a bit. "Tugger had broken a window and helped Vicky escape. Then they ran through the front door and had a small intervention with Macavity, which ended with Tugger having to fight him and Victoria leaving to find me. But there was a henchcat named Calix guarding me, and _then_…" Mistoffelees smiled at me and batted my ear. "Do you want to tell Munku what you did?"

I managed a giggle and replied, "I danced with him, and the poor cat had no idea what was going on!"

At this Munkustrap slightly chuckled, but he quickly resumed to the serious interrogation. "And I presume you were able to flee with Mistoffelees?"

"Yes," I answered, "but only because Misto stunned the henchcat with magic, and we ran all the way back to Tugger and stopped the fight. And then I…" I gulped. Munkustrap raised an eyebrow, urging me to continue. "…I danced with him as well. With Macavity. And before he let us go, he told me that it wasn't our last dance…that he would be back."

Munkustrap placed one paw on each of our shoulders. "Thank you for telling me. You are both incredibly brave kittens. I'm proud of you two."

"Thanks, Munku," we replied simultaneously. He gave us one small smile before escorting other Jellicles back to their dens.

"Vicky, Mistoffelees."

Adolph tapped us from behind, and we turned around with a smile. "Hello," Mistoffelees and I said, once again, in unison.

"You both okay?" he asked, concerned.

"Yes, we are alright. I did a little magic, Vicky did a little dancing, Tugger did some window-smashing," Misto responded with a chuckle. "We all got out safely."

"Good, good," Adolph said.

There was a short pause, but I broke it with an excited squeal. I grabbed Adolph's paw in mine and jumped up and down. "Adolph! Do you know what tomorrow is?"

"The Jellicle—"

"The Jellicle Ball!" I interrupted, not even bothering to hear what his answer was.

He caught on to my enthusiasm and smiled. "What, no preparation necessary? You're all just gonna go out there and wing it?"

Mistoffelees and I laughed. "No!" I replied. "The Jellicle Moon kind of unites us as one. Under its power, we know exactly what to do."

"So…you're being hypnotized by the moon?"

"No!" Mistoffelees and I shouted at him through fits of laughter.

"The Moon is like our guide. We are still controlling our own bodies and thoughts," I explained for him. "It is one of the reasons why you must be a Jellicle for at least three years. Before then, the Moon does not influence you as much."

Adolph's face dropped. "Yeah, I forgot about that. Jemima doesn't have a mate, does she?"

I shook my head. "Of course not! She only wants you! And I am not one to break the rules, but I really think you deserve that dance with Jemima."

"Thanks. I'll find a way. I am _not_ waiting five years." He gave us a sudden flying-tackle-hug, making us stagger back a bit. "You guys rock."

"Um, thank you, Adolph," Mistoffelees replied.

Adolph let go of us and said, "Now, time to head over to my den." He merely plopped down onto the ground. "Yep. Quite an enjoyable shelter I got here."

"Do you want to stay with Misto and me for the night?" I asked.

"No, I'll be fine. Thanks, though." He reclined and rested his head on his paws, gazing up at the inky night sky, where the Jellicle Moon was now practically full. Before closing his eyes, he said, "I'll see you toms and queens in the morning."

I shared another look with Misto before breaking out into more chortles. "We sleep through the day."

Adolph opened one eye. "What?"

"That's right," Mistoffelees confirmed. "We have to save all our energy to be bright at the Jellicle Ball. It's going to be late once we actually wake up."

"Eh, well, they're gonna kick me out at some point, so the later the better. But I _will_ get that dance with Jemima!" Adolph rolled over to his side and shut his eyes. "Have a good night…and day."

We laughed one last time—you could always count on Adolph to brighten up your mood—before we, too, said our goodbyes and padded over to our pipe.

I couldn't keep my giddiness inside as I crawled into the pipe with Misto leading the way. The side I wasn't showing, though, was the anxiety welling up inside me, and I desperately wanted to talk to Mistoffelees about it. Every year I was afraid something would go wrong: I might miss a step or lose my balance in the middle of a move. There was always the chance I would fall and bring one or more cats down with me. As I settled onto my soft blanket, I contemplated the likelihood of not being able to find a mate. In a case like that, Old Deuteronomy would be forced to pick a tom out of the crowd to dance with me—the leader of the Mating Dance this year—and it didn't matter whether or not we were fond of each other. If the Jellicle Leader says something, you must listen and obey. I sure hoped Deuteronomy wouldn't choose someone like Pouncival, not because I didn't like him or anything, but because I knew he was wishing to dance with Etcetera. How dreadful would it be if I tore a Jellicle away from their true love? Both Pouncival and Etcetera would loathe me; I would hate myself. The only option I had now was to perform a small dance just before the Mating Dance began to indicate that I was still searching for a mate, and (as awful and desperate as it sounds) any Jellicle was free to step up and begin the dance, even without my consent. If only I didn't have to perform it in the center of the clearing this year, with the other Jellicles forming a ring around me. New cats come to join the Jellicles every few years or so, the most recent being Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer—that is, if Adolph doesn't become a member of the Jellicle tribe. I was sure one of those newcomers could be a potential mate for me.

_GAHHHH!_ I screamed inside myself. There were so many thoughts in my head. Wasn't I glad that I was able to get twenty-four hours of sleep that night! I lay down beside Mistoffelees, who was skimming through pages of a heavy book.

"Mistoffelees," I said, getting his attention, "you are going to be mates with Electra, aren't you?"

"Well, I certainly hope so. We haven't talked about it, really, but I think it was always implied. I don't think she even knows I'm back yet, but I am sure Jennyanydots will tell her for me."

"Oh, I hope you do become mates. I can see you two being together for a long time. Forever and ever and ever…" I said and sighed dreamily. "…And ever and ever and ever—"

"Okay, what's bothering you?" Mistoffelees said, closing his book and adding it to the seemingly growing pile. "We don't talk about queens and toms much. Are you worried about the Ball?"

I rolled over and planted my face into a pillow. "I am extremely nervous. I don't mean to complain about my problems to you, so I'll just have to deal with it, I guess…" I trailed off, hoping he would offer me some sage advice.

"Victoria, I am sure a tom will offer you his paw. In fact, I bet at least three will come up at the exact same time." He laughed, and I managed a chuckle. "Don't fret about it, Vicky. I promise you tomorrow will be spectacular. Don't let one thought eat you away."

I rotate myself again and nod, knowing he was right. "At least we get a full night and day to nap. I want to sleep my worries away."

"Good idea. Try to wake up a few minutes before the Ball begins so we exchange a few good lucks, okay?" he said, taking my paw and giving it a quick squeeze.

"Perfect. And we can begin thinking about who should be sent up to the Heaviside Layer!" I exclaimed, remembering the Jellicles' ritual.

"Right! Do you think it may be Gus?" Misto asked.

I nodded. "Yes! I think he deserves it most, don't you? But we will have to see who our other candidates are, first."

Mistoffelees closed his eyes with the hugest grin on his face. "In that case, we'll wait and see. Until then, Vicky."

"Until then, Misto. Good night."

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><p><strong>What did you think? I would love to read all your comments, questions, and critique.<strong>

**Since I have some newly acquired slow-updating skills, I can't exactly tell you when the next chapter will be up...sorry. BUT I can say that next chapter will be the first of I-don't-know-how-many-parts of the Jellicle Ball, AND there will be something kind of different about it...in a way...**

**Stay tuned for more! Thank you to all my readers :)**


	34. Jellicle Ball, Fitting In

**A/N: Hehehe...sorry for the late update. I promise it won't take this long again. And summer is coming up soon, so I shall be updating like mad!**

**So this chapter...may be one of the very few that is not random :) Because it's part of the Jellicle Ball! And also from Plato's point-of-view, present tense, so it was fun writing this! To be as accurate as possible, I monitored Plato's EVERY MOVE (yes, call me obsessed) and provided my own explanations for them. I'll stop drabbling on and on now.**

**Here is a chapter filled with song lyrics and snide comments! Enjoy :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own the CATS plot, characters, or any of the lyrics. Only Adolph ;)**

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><p><em>Slice. <em>As easy as that, the queen struggling in my grip collapses to the ground in a bloody heap. Not a sound croaks out of her, no noise is able to crawl up her slit throat. The queen is a pretty creature, even as she is drowning in a pool of dark crimson. She is mostly white, other than a few orange ticks here and there, with long reddish-orange headfur that nearly covers her grey-green eyes. Yes, she is beautiful, but the relief I get from doing away with her is so satisfying that it is most definitely worth it. I can almost hear my father's voice in my head acknowledging me, proud that I am his tomson. And I like it when Macavity is pleased with me. I don't want to disappoint him.

Xal comes up from behind and presses the hammer he lent from me against my chest. "Hey, thanks, Plates," he says.

"Don't call me that," I reply, still staring at the slaughtered queen while wrapping my paw around the hammer's handle.

He shrugs. I really should be getting more respect from him. I pivot and slam the hammer back into his own chest. "Do whatever you want with her. I'm done for the night."

Xal gives another shrug, but with a raise of my eyebrows, he quickly salutes and drags the queen into a dumpster. I saunter off, nearly slipping on the slick blood that now stained the ground. Returning to the main alleyway, I see a few of my henchcats circled around a fire, Cezar murmuring a tale to the others. I roll my eyes and sit next to the storyteller, but not without receiving about thirty salutes, first. It feels good to be the boss.

"What's going on here, Ceze?" I ask him.

"Nothing much. Just telling a few of my famous horror stories." We both glance at a trembling Ozzie. The new henchcat was shrinking behind a larger cat. If it wasn't for his incredible skill of being able to kill a cat with the stem of a flower (I still have no idea how he did that), I would have let him go almost immediately.

As Cezar continues his supposedly terrifying tales, I crane my neck up to gaze at this year's supermoon. The fullness nearly blinds me, and I know that it won't get as bright as this for another year. On the night when the moon appears to be at its largest state, the Jellicles throw their annual Jellicle Ball. Victoria doesn't know it, but I _will_ be there. Everlasting Cat, I would risk my life to dance with her. I am willing to do anything to see the reaction on her face at my surprise appearance tonight. But I have more planned than just that…

There is a problem with my plight: I will have to betray my fellow henchcats—the toms I grew up with since I was four years old. My co-workers since I was nine. The ones I poked, annoyed, fought, and argued with for years and years. The ones that now work for me instead of my father; they salute to me whenever I walk by, not to Macavity.

I doubt they'll forgive me. Heck, they'll be so mad they'll shred me to pieces. But do I care? No. I'm doing it for Victoria.

_How should I break it to them? They will hate me for abandoning them! Gah, stop being_ _so scared, Plato! Didn't you say you'll do anything for Vicky? DIDN'T YOU—_

"Plato?"

I look up from my lap to see thirty pairs of eyes on me. "Yeah? What?" I respond.

"You've been murmuring 'Vicky, Vicky' for like, five minutes," Cezar says. "You okay?"

_Vicky, Vicky…_I look up again. "Hm? Oh, yeah. I'm…I'm fine."

"Okaaaaaay," he drags out before turning back to the eager listeners.

_Come on, Plato, don't be a coward! Just…just tell them you're leaving. It's now or never, now or never…_

"Hey! Shut up and listen!" I holler a little to militaristically. Cezar immediately discontinues his story and impatiently waits for my announcement, drumming his fingers on his leg.

"I know not everybody is here," I begin, "but I need you all to pass on the message that I'm…I have to leave. Now. I—it's—um…" Oh, great. Since when have I been a stutterer?

"What!" a henchcat yells from the crowd.

"Plato, why?"

"What in the name of the Everlasting Cat is wrong with you!"

"What do you expect _us_ to do? You're just letting us rot here in the alleys of London?"

"Oh, c'mon, Plato. You're being such a pollicle."

I grit my teeth at the name-caller and shout back, "Victoria needs me! Don't you know how much she has suffered through? Don't you feel one ounce of guilt that you were part of the reason why?"

It is silent for a moment. I take this opportunity to spin around and walk away with as much purpose as possible.

But then Artemis grabs my arm. "You're leaving for a queen? Are you mad?"

I don't reply. Surely this is one of the reasons why Macavity never took in queens unless they were held captive. But Artie isn't one who likes to be ignored. He takes my paw, and, before I can wrench it away, crushes two of my fingers with one simple but brutal squeeze. I strike his cheek with the same paw nevertheless, snatch a roll of tape we sometimes use to tie up our victims, and flee from my henchcats, setting my sights only on the front gates of the junkyard a mile away, letting the music from the overture of the Jellicle Ball sweep me off my hind paws and have me drift right to Victoria's den. Let me apologize for leaving her and stay true to my word: to give her a surprise she will never forget.

While I'm running, I wrap the tape around my two possibly broken fingers and then throw it to the side. I barely have time to look at both sides of the road before I dash across the pavement and sprint parallel to the fence surrounding the junkyard. Hopefully I haven't led my henchcats directly to the tribe. After a quick glance over my shoulder, I am assured that I'm not being followed. I don't stop running, though. I can't be late. I ignore the fact that I may be kicked out the second a Jellicle sees me, and instead I fret over the possibility of crashing the entire thing. I haven't been to a Jellicle Ball for thirteen years…hopefully I will still get those unusual vibes from the Moon to direct me around.

As for Macavity, I'm pretty positive that he's no longer with the Jellicles. I don't know what happened, but a few henchcats of mine have encountered a couple of Mac's. He's got a whole new business up and running. Good for him.

While I near the clearing, a car races by a few yards away, screeching its tires and flashing its headlights as it zooms past. Someone hisses and scurries off. I pick up the pace and reach a corner of the fence. A rocking chair creaks above me. I must be close. Darting over to the next post, the quiet pawsteps of two cats in unison can be heard.

_Ugh, how big can this junkyard be?_ Behind the clearing is a whole mountain range of junk. Without stopping for rest, I zip alongside the chain-link fence, the music becoming louder and clearer with every step.

Then, a voice rings out low and true: _"Are you blind when you're born?"_

A pause. _"Can you see in the dark?"_

"_Can you look at a king?"_

"_Would you sit on his throne?"_

I recognize Tugger's sly voice almost immediately: _"Can you say of your bite, that it's worse than your bark?"_

Macavity's least favorite cousin: _"Are you cock of the walk?"_

An unfamiliar voice sings out, _"When you're walking alone?"_

They continue to sing in hushed voices, but now I am intent on reaching the clearing in time.

"Plato!"

I whip myself around. "What? Who said that?"

"Plato, it's me—Adolph."

Huh, so Adolph was able to stay. "Hey, Adolph. Any reason you're watching the Jellicles from outside the fence?"

"Yeah. They won't let me join, but I want to hear Jemima sing," he responds, peering through the fence. He turns to look at me with a solemn expression. "I want to be her mate, you know."

"Wow, I must have missed a lot," I say with a chuckle.

"…_Jellicles do, and Jellicles would…"_

"So, why are you here?" Adolph asks, his eyes scanning the clearing for the pretty, wide-eyed queen.

"I'm here for Vicky," I reply simply and stride even closer to the clearing. "Sorry you can't join, but I say when the Mating Dance comes, you junp over this fence here and go for it." I give him a mischievous grin before turning my back on him once more. "Good luck, Adolph."

"Thanks. And Plato?"

"Hm?"

"I'm glad you're back. And I'm sure Victoria is, too."

I scoff to myself and say a quick thanks before running off again. For all I know, Victoria might hate me for all I have done since I abandoned her.

"…_and Jellicles do."_

"_When you fall on your head, to you land on your feet?"_

"_Are you tense when you sense there's a storm in the air?"_

A young soprano voice—perhaps the highest of all the Jellicles—sings, _"Can you find your way blind when you're lost in the street?"_

The voice of Jemima. How I love that kitten. Always polite and forgiving. I can see why Adolph has fallen for her. She may be the one cat in this tribe that doesn't despise me…

"_Because Jellicles can, and Jellicles do. Jellicles do, and Jellicles can."_

And then I see her coming from behind the TSE-1—not only can I tell distinguish her because of her coat, but also from the way she dances: each step the glide of a graceful and gentle swan. Ugh, I think I just made a metaphor…

Anyway, I climb over the fence and meander my way through the junkpiles, always keeping my eyes on Vicky. _So close, so close…_

"_Can you ride on a broomstick to places far distant?"_

"_Familiar with candle?" _

Hearing Vick's voice urges me to push forward, to fly through every winding path until I can see a glimpse of the Jellicles occupying the clearing.

"_With book and with bell?"_

"_Are you Whittington's friend?"_

"_The Pied Piper's assistant?"_

"_Have you been an alumnus…"_

_Oh, Everlasting Cat, finally! _And after thirteen long years, I finally step out under the light of the Jellicle Moon just as I see Tumblebrutus flip and somersault about. Goodness, I'm so elated right now that I jump about ten feet into the air. Hey, who can blame me for being so excited? But honestly, I've never been so ecstatic in my life…

"_Are you mean like a minx?"_

"_Are you lean like a lynx?"_

"_Are you keen to be seen when you're smelling a rat."_

"_Were you there when the pharaohs commisioned the sphinx?"_

Gah, I forgot about all the singing in this. What if I can't sing? What if everybody's voice is perfect and once mine joins in, the entire Ball will be ruined?

When have I started caring so much?

"_If you were and you are, you're a Jellicle cat."_

The second I see her slide down the TSE-1, I lift my arms into the air and copy the other Jellicles' moves, taking wide steps toward her. Victoria's coming my way too, but our eyes don't connect. I move to the right to stand straight in front of her, but she's facing the other way. Either she doesn't see me…or she's trying to ignore me. I hope it's the former.

"_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats, Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats. _

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats. _

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats."_

The front half of the clearing turns around to face my direction. I widen my eyes, somehow trying to lure her into making eye contact with me. Then her face finally turns and—

A body whizzes by and blocks her view. Once the figure disappears, I search for the gleam of her white coat again, but she has already hopped into the air and is looking upwards. Just as she lands, Etcetera flies backwards on her trapeze and back to her landing spot. At this point, I'm wondering if we'll go through the entire Ball without her noticing I'm even here.

"_We can turn double somersaults, bounce on a tire."_

"_We can run up a wall…"_

The tribe's Protector, Munkustrap, picks Victoria up and swings her around in the air. A small smile plays on my lips when our eyes finally lock. She gasps slightly and looks as if she is about to cry with joy. Munkustrap then flips her over, ending our short moment together, and Vicky slides into the splits.

"_We can balance on bars, we can walk on a wire."_

I pivot around and begin striding to the left beside Alonzo. The black and white patched tom is facing forward, but I can see his eyes dart in my direction repeatedly. I spin around again and begin pacing in the opposite direction. I see a glimpse of the rest of the Jellicles following right behind me. _Aw, great._ If the adults see me, they'd kick me out for sure. Luckily, before anyone can do anything about this uninvited cat, we all whirl around again.

"_Jellicles can and Jellicles do. _

_Jellicles can and Jellicles do. _

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats, Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats. _

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats. _

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats."_

"_Can you—"_

Oh, shoot! That's the queens' part! I had a feeling I'd mess this up so soon…Ah, well, I'll just…pretend I didn't do anything wrong…but I think Alonzo's shooting me some more glares.

"…_And waltzes by Strauss?"_

We all whip are heads to the right, then to the left. _"Ah-ah-ah, ah-ah-ah."_

I lash my arm out and claw the air. _"And can you as cats do, begin with a C?"_

"_AHHHH!"_

Agh, who added that in?

"…_That always triumphantly brings down the house._

_Jellicle cats are queens of the night._

_Singing at astronomical heights._

_Handeling pieces from the Messiah._

_Hallelujah, angelical choir."_

Nearly all the Jellicles start at the crash of the boot that fell from nowhere. Others look completely offended. Those darn humans…

As everyone repeats the last verse, the cat behind me whacks the back of my head—on purpose, I'm sure. I ruffle my headfur and duck my head down. _That Asparagus…_

And now the queen next to me is trying to block my way. Cassandra is flailing her arms wildly, nearly smacking me in the face. I bump her to the side and push myself past her. I'm guessing she has a grudge on me, as well.

The music suddenly stops its upbeat tempo and slows down. We all lift our left arms, then right, and send a little prayer to the Everlasting Cat:

"_The Mystical Divinity of Unashamed Felinity._

_Round the cathedral rang: Vivat._

_Life to the Everlasting Cat."_

We all drop our voices to a whisper:

"_Feline, fearless, faithful and true to others who do…_

…_what…"_

I sprint towards the gates of the clearing and leap into the air.

"_Jellicles do, and Jellicles can _

_Jellicles can, and Jellicles do_

_Jellicle cats sing Jellicle chants_

_Jellicle old and Jellicles new_

_Jellicle song and Jellicle dance._

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats_

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats_

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats_

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats."_

Most of us station in the middle while some queens—and Pouncival—move to the far right corner. _"Practical cats, dramatical cats."_

Another group goes to the opposite corner. _"Pragmatical cats, fanatical cats."_

The psychics lead the next group. _"Oratorical cats, delphicoracle cats."_

I hop into the air with a few other toms and Cassandra, kicking up high and clawing the air. _"Skeptical cats, dyspeptical cats."_

"_Romantical cats, pedantical cats_

_Critical cats, parasitical cats."_

Wait, I just realized…are we insulting ourselves?

"_Allegorical cats, metaphorical cats_

_Statistical cats and mystical cats, political cats_

_Hypocritical cats_

_Clerical cats, hysterical cats_

_Cynical cats, rabbinical cats."_

Everlasting Cat, that was a mouthful.

"_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats…"_

I keep my eye on Vicky, who is front and center, and even though her back is to me, I can tell she has a smile plastered onto her face. I follow her exact movements, somewhat wishing I was as graceful and fluid as she is.

"…_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats_

_Jellicle songs for Jellicle cats."_

"_There's a man over there…"_

Well, this is awkward.

"…_with a look of surprise_

_As much as to say, well, now how about that?"_

Munkustrap runs over to Asparagus and squints at the random man strolling dangerously close to the junkyard fence.

"_Do I actually see with my own very eyes?_

_ A man who has not heard of a Jellicle cat?_

_ 'What's a Jellicle cat?'"_

_ "'What's a Jellicle cat?'_

'_What's a Jellicle cat?'"_

And then something draws us all together. Probably the Jellicle Moon, pulling us to the center of the clearing, huddled next to each other. And, of course, since it's just my luck, I'm farthest from Victoria as possible. And, _of course_, I have to stand next to Alonzo, who is continually glaring at me from the corner of his eye.

The Jellicles and I begin to recite:

"_The naming of cats is a difficult matter_

_It isn't just one of your holiday games_

_You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter_

_When I tell you a cat must have three different names._

_First of all, there's the name that the family use daily_

_Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo, or James_

_Such as Victor or Jonathon, George or Bill Bailey_

_But all of them sensible, everyday names._

_There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter_

_Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames_

_Such as Plato, Admetus…"_

Huh…Why did they choose my name? I mean, out of all the cats…I'm wondering why…

"_But all of them sensible, everyday names."_

The tempo picks up…

"_But I tell you a cat needs a name that's particular_

_A name that's peculiar and more dignified_

_Else how can he keep up his tail perpendicular_

_Or spread out his whiskers_

_Or cherish his pride._

_Of names of this kind I can give you a quorum,_

_Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat_

_Such as Bombalurina, or else, Jellylorum_

_Names that never belong to more than one cat."_

The Jellicles split ourselves into three groups. I step to my right as the eerie music continues.

"_When you notice a cat in profound meditation_

_The reason I tell you is always the same._

_His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation_

_Of a thought_

_Of a thought_

_Of a thought_

_Of his name._

_His ineffable…"_

A white figure to my far left jolts upright.

"_Effable_

_Effanineffable_

_Deep_

_And inscrutable_

_Singular_

_Name, name, name, name…"_

We all disperse, leaving one cat in the center. Her snowy arms gesture to the Everlasting Cat above as she makes her way to the middle of the clearing, signaling that she is the queen who will be leading the Mating Dance this year. I want to stay and watch, but a wave of cats sweeps me to the mass of junk in the right side of the clearing. Victoria's brother, Mistoffelees, crawls into his pipe and spectates her with anticipation. With one last motion to the Moon, Victoria slowly lifts her right leg back and delicately grabs her toes with her left paw. She brings her leg up higher and higher, stretching her back. Unhurriedly and gracefully, Vicky swings her leg around and even mouths a silent "Hello" to her brother in the pipe. After turning on her toes, she gently touches her knee with her left paw and straightens her leg out, running her fingers through her pristine fur. Next, turning her leg to the side, she slowly straightens her leg out…

And I think it's going to stop…

I keep thinking it'll stop…

But no, it goes all the way up. Flawlessly. Her back paw is right beside her front paws held eloquently above her head. She holds the incredible pose for a few seconds—leaving me stupefied—and even reaches up higher on the tips of her toes. Finally, Vicky sets her leg down and slips into the splits, looking up to the sky. She revolves herself around, her toes touching behind her, before dragging her claws through the air and rolling onto her back. After wiggling her hind paws in the air in beat with the music, Victoria gradually lowers her knees to her face and lifts herself up, her body bent in half. Holding the pose, she looks out past the junkyard gates, seemingly lost in thought, until Mistoffelees whooshes by and spreads his arms wide open, a large, bright spotlight imbuing the junkyard. Misto chuckles as he smooths down her ruffled fur and begins to sing:

"_Jellicle cats come out tonight_

_Jellicle cats come one, come all."_

Using his impressive magical abilities, he pulls Victoria up from the ground, and they dance in synch with each other.

"_The Jellicle Moon is shining bright_

_Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball_

_Jellicle cats come out tonight_

_Jellicles come to the Jellicle Ball."_

All the Jellicles obediently step out under the Moon as Munkustrap begins his annual speech:

"_Jellicle cats meet once a year…"_

Everyone goes about as if no beautiful, pure white cat ever danced her heart out with all eyes on her from the edges of the junkyard. No one goes up to Victoria to congratulate her, or compliment her, or praise her. I'm about to go up to say a word or two to the graceful kitten, but everybody suddenly jumps up and scratches the air repeatedly.

We all turn outwards, completely serious, in a closed circle.

"_And the Jellicle leader will soon appear_

_And make what is known as the Jellicle choice_

_When Old Deuteronomy just before dawn_

_Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife_

_Announces the cat that can now be reborn_

_And come back to a different Jellicle life._

_For waiting up there is the Heaviside Layer…"_

Victoria stands up and graciously waves up at the Jellicle Moon.

"_And Jellicles ask, because Jellicles dare:_

_Who will it be?"_

"_Who will it be?"_

A trumpet plays. Cats slide to the edges of the clearing. Someone thumps the back of my head again. I swat the paw away and duck my head again before joining the other cats. Asparagus gets down next to me, but no way am I getting near him ever again. There's an open space between Rumpleteazer and Alonzo, and I slither over to it, getting a perfect view of a certain white queen.

Munkustrap and Mistoffelees are standing in the center, looking quite proud—the tuxedo tom looking a little _too_ proud.

"_I have a Gumbie Cat in mind_

_Her name is Jennyanydots."_

Mistoffelees immediately darts his eyes from side to side, mortified in thinking that the song would be about him. He scratches his ear as an excuse for why his arm is raised grandly above his head, then spins himself around and sits with the other kittens, who give him pats of encouragement.

"_Her coat is of the tabby kind_

_With tiger stripes and leopard spots._

_All day she sits beneath the stair…"_

Munkustrap begins gliding away, and I try to follow him, to see where he's going. Crawling in his direction, I look up and see Cassandra's face just centimeters away from mine. I gulp and mouth "Hi" to her before scampering away. Gah, that was creepy…

"_She sits, and sits, and sits, and sits…"_

I quickly get away from the Siamese queen and sit by Bombalurina. Hopefully _she _won't thwack me on the head. But I guess she has a reason to…

"_And that's what makes a Gumbie Cat."_

Munkustrap looks at Mistoffelees, and the two toms nod at each other, signaling that the magical tom should lift the trunk of the TSE-1.

"_That's what makes a Gumbie Cat."_

Inside rolls out a miraculously plump Jennyanydots as Demeter, Bombalurina, and Jellylorum sing:

"_But…_

_When the days hussle and bustle is done_

_Then the Gumbie Cats work is but hardly begun._

_When all the family's in bed and asleep_

_She tucks up her skirts to the basement to creep."_

The queenkits all follow the Gumbie Cat, and Victoria takes a good whack at her tail. Jenny shooes all the kittens away, and they run off into a mini-clearing near Cori and Tanto's den. Moments later, Vicky, Etcetera, Jemima, and Electra scurry back with mouse-like masks, and they hurry to put them on.

"_But when she has got them lined up on the matting_

_She teaches them—"_

"—_music, crocheting, and tatting."_

Suddenly somebody pulls me up, and I follow the other Jellicles "backstage", where there is an abundance of polka-dotted garbage can bags. We instinctively put them on (the Moon makes us do crazy things) and wait for the right time to jump in, but Pouncival races ahead of us. The small tom marches up to Jennyanydots and waves his hips around as if he's some sort of Rum Tum Tugger. Nobody can resist laughing their heads off.

"_She thinks that the coachroaches_—_"_

"—_just need employment!"  
>"To prevent them from<em>—_"_

"—_idle and wanton destroyment!"_

"_So she's formed from that lot of disorderly louts_

_A troop of self-disciplined helpful boyscouts."_

"_With a purpose in life, and a good deed to do."_

"_And she's even…_

_Created…_

_A Beetles…_

_Tattoo!"_

In just a second, Jennyanydots's outer coat is stripped off and is now wearing some kind of flapper dress. We all come out and allow her to lead us into a tap dance.

Wait…since when have I known how to tap dance? The Jellicle Moon does strange things to us Jellicles…

And we tap dance…

And tap dance…

And tap dance…

And by now, we're all annoyed by the tap dancing. As if communicating mentally, we all get into a line and push this "Gumbie Cat" out of the way and attempt to annoy her by disobeying her every command. Then she marches down the aisle, making sure we're all "tapping" correctly or something, but unbeknownst to her, Pouncival, who might just be the most peeved of us all, is coming right up behind her with a large fork in paw. (Unfortunately) Jenny catches him and sends him to the TSE-1.

A few more shuffles later, we all stand straight and tall and sing, _"For she's a jolly good fellow."_

Jenny responds, "Thank you, my dears!"

Jennyanydots goes down a line of the older Jellicles, who groom her until random pop music booms out.

"Meow."

Everybody immediately turns their heads to the great tyre. The younger Jellicles and I walk backstage and rip off our costumes. Another purr can be heard: "Meow."

"_The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat."_

"_If you offer me pheasant, I rather have grouse._

_If you put me in a house, I would much prefer a flat_

_If you put me in a flat, then I'd rather have a house…"_

I roll my eyes. How great does Tugger think he is? I don't need my uncle flaunting his hips in front of my face. I spot a ball stuck in a mass of junk. _How incredible can he really be?_

"_If you set me on a rat, then I'll only chase a mouse."_

I chuck the ball at like seventy miles per hour at the Maine Coon.

Too bad he's just _so great_; Tugger spins at the last second and kicks it towards Vicky's brother.

Eh, he's not so bad anymore.

A giddy Etcetera bounds up to him, and the Rum Tum Tugger pelvic thrusts the kitten away. The young tabby faints with a smile. I catch her just in time and even push her back for another go. Tugger pretends to pick chewed-up gum off the bottom of his back paw and feeds it to Etcetera, who happily skips away. I can't help but laugh at her obsessiveness. Cettie's a cute kitten. Too bad her mother despises me.

I dance along with Etcy and pretend to be astounded by Tugger's irresistibility. This overwhelmingly excites her.

"_The Rum Tum Tugger is a terrible bore_._"_

I snicker at Mistoffelees's claim. _Somebody's jealous…_

"_When you let me in, then I wanna go out."_

"Hey!" Etcetera whispers into my ear. "Do you like the Rum Tum Tugger as much as I do?"

I scoff back sarcastically, "Well, duh, who doesn't?"

She scowls. "Nuh-uh! I love him more than anyone else! So HA!"

"I don't think so," I annoy her with a smirk.

Etcetera huffs, but can't suppress a grin. We dance once again as Tugger publicly humiliates Pouncival and Tumblebrutus.

"_I'm always on the wrong side of every door_

_And as soon as I get home then I like to get about_

_I like to lie in the bureau drawer_

_But I make such a fuss if I can't get out."_

I start a line with Etcetera, Cassandra, and Tantomile behind me as the Jellicles sing:

"_The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat."_

Said cat leans against me like a king sitting on a throne and adds: _"And there isn't any use for you to doubt it."_

With the others, I perform the needle twice and then kick my leg into the air as Tugger sings, _"And there's no doin' anythin' abouh, ooh-wow, ooh-wow ooh-out it." _I pretend to act super-excited and fan-queeny to both amuse and bug Etcy. Etcetera giggles and playfully punches me. I back away from the untouchable Tugger to give him space to, I don't know, "strut his stuff". Resting my elbow on Tumblebrutus's shoulder, I copy Tumble and Pouncival's moves while Tugger shows off in the center. My eyes meet with Pouncival, who cocks his head towards Tugger and rolls his eyes. I silently laugh and watch as the admired tom tickles Jemima under her chin. He will _not_ want to meet Adolph in a dark alley…

"_The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious beast."_

All us toms who are mocking the Rum Tum Tugger dramatically present him with our arms wide open.

"_My disobliging ways are a matter of habit._

_Now if you offer me fish, then I always want a feast_

_And if there isn't any fish then I won't eat a rabbit_

_If you offer me cream then I sniff and sneer_

_For I only like what I find for myself…"_

Tugger gazes dreamily into Bombalurina's eyes.

"_NO."_

I notice Tumblebrutus snickering the hardest of us all when Tugger drops the scarlet queen. Rumor has it that they_—_Tumble and Bomba_—_are going to be mates this year.

That should be interesting.

"_The Rum Tum Tugger is artful and knowing_

_The Rum Tum Tugger—"_

"—_doesn't care for a cuddle_

_So I'll leap on your lap in the middle of your sewing_

'_Cause there's nothin' I enjoy like a horrible muddle."_

I watch Vicky rock out with Etcetera while the Rum Tum Tugger gives a rather interesting welcome to Jennyanydots and Jellylorum. Vick, Jemima, and Etcy later faint from mesmerization for Tugger.

As everyone dances forward, I shake my knees instead, catching Vicky's attention. As we both step forward to join the others, she beams over at me, and I grin back.

"_The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat_

_The Rum Tum Tugger doesn't care for a cuddle._

_The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat."_

"_And there isn't any need for me to spout it."_

"_For he will do as he do do."_

I slide to my knees and watch Etcetera with anticipation during the grand finale. Then I am cloaked by a thin, dark shadow. I look up and immediately shoot my head down again. _Why in the Heaviside Layer is Cassandra following me!_

Soon enough her spiny fingers stroke my headfur, and by now I'm completely weirded-out. I turn my attention back to the queenkittens, who are utterly enraptured by Tugger's moves. I laugh at the ringing squeals coming from all four of the youngest queens. Seeing Victoria obsess over Tugger doesn't bother me; she should enjoy herself as much as she can. Though Etcetera is becoming a bit irritating right now…

In an attempt to make them dizzy one more time, Tugger drags out, _"Abou, ooh-wow, ooh-wow-wow-wow-wow-wooowwwwwww!"_

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH—"

Thank you, Tugger.

"_About it!"_

The music starts up again, and Tugger slides to his knees to the corner of the clearing, pretending to play the guitar with his tail. He's darting all around the clearing with his flamboyant mane, and we all cheer for him. He's not a bad tom. Self-centered, yes, but still my uncle who hasn't reported me to any of the other adult Jellicles yet.

He lashes out his arm and points to something—or someone—behind us. Everything loses its vivacity, and the music turns dreary.

And an adult queen in an old body hobbles into the Jellicle Ball.

* * *

><p><strong>Seeing that this is my first fanfic, it's also my first Jellicle Ball, so comments and critique are very much appreciated. I hope you liked it! If any part was confusing or I got song lyrics wrong, you can PM me or review, and I'll respond and fix the mistake!<strong>

**The story from now on will be in present tense because 1. It'll be cooler xD haha I hope. 2. I've gotten into the habit of writing in present tense and 3. It's like Victoria was kind of "retelling" the experiences she had before the Ball. After the Jellicle Ball, we have caught up to everything and it's all happening in the present! **

**Thanks so much for reading! I can no longer make any promises on when I'll update, but I can tell you that it won't be a month. So far parts 1-5 of the Jellicle Ball have been completed...now just sixteen more to go xD Stay tuned for the next part of the Jellicle Ball in Plato's point of view! Please review :)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	35. Jellicle Ball, Waiting

**A/N: Hey hey hey! I'm really sorry for the late updates, but I promise they will be faster now that it's summer :D**

**Another chapter filled with snide comments, singing, and PLATO!**

**And a little somethin' somethin' for all you fantastic readers in the end.**

**I'm sorry it's so long. And now I'm making it even longer :/ The scroll bar may make it look even longer but that's just because the song lyrics take up a lot of paragraph space. But I really hope it's exciting and not boring!**

**Thanks so much to all my readers, reviewers, favoriters, and followers! Your support really means a lot!**

**Enjoy :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS, just Adolph :D**

* * *

><p>The Rum Tum Tugger silently vituperates the old queen and saunters off. Who this queen is, I don't know, but her face seems a bit familiar from my younger days here. I climb up the TSE-1 and run across the tire to the other side in order to get a better view of her. Pouncival and Tumblebrutus are also trying to get a good glimpse of her. Grizabella—that's her name. She was never enthusiastic about being part of a tribe, also moping around and clinging to the junkyard fence, watching the city skyline sparkle and glimmer. Never wanted to play with the kittens. And then one day, she announced that she was leaving. She wanted to explore London, become well-known and famous.<p>

Now she's crawling back to us.

Electra takes a few steps towards her, but Jennyanydots quickly cuts her off and shoos her away. I jump off the ledge and elbow Pouncival.

"Hey, Pouncival," I say. "Go scratch her."

The young tom whips his head around. "What? Why should I listen to you? You tripped me on the sidewalk!"

I roll my eyes. He's still clinging on to that? "Nobody likes her anyways. Just go do it."

"Yeah, come on, Pounce," his brother Tumblebrutus encourages him. "Besides, don't you remember how rude she was to you when you were little?"

Pouncival scrunches his face up in thought. "No."

"Well, she was. She thought you were irritating. Just go scratch her! It'll be funny." Tumblebrutus gives him a little push, but Pouncival stands his ground.

"Wait, but why do _I _have to do it?" Pouncival whines.

"Grow up!" I hiss and shove him over to Grizabella.

Tumblebrutus and I snicker as Pouncival inches towards the grey queen. Grizabella reaches out to him, thinking he'll be the first to accept her. The brown and white patched tom stretches a gentle paw out to her as well, but then he claws her old and rusty arm. She jerks her arm away, more hurt entering her eyes than ever before. Pouncival darts over to us and hides. I crawl into Vicky's pipe and watch as Demeter tries to reach out to her…but fails.

"_Remark the cat_

_Who hesitates towards you_

_In the light of the door which opens on her_

_Like a grin."_

Etcetera and Vicky glance at each other and then crawl up to Grizabella, but Jellylorum halts them. Grizabella grits her teeth at the adult queen and sings:

"_You see the border of her coat is torn_

_And stained with sand."_

Cassandra stands up and poses like some sort of Egyptian. I will never understand her…

"_And you see the corner of her eye twist_

_Like a crooked pin."_

As Grizabella looks forward, her sights set on something none of us—not even herself—can see, Demeter walks up behind her and sings:

"_She haunted many a low resort_

_Near the grimy road of Tottenham Court._

_She flitted about the no man's land_

_From the Rising Sun to the Friend at Hand._

_And the postman sighed as he scratched his head,_

'_You'd really had thought she ought to be dead.'_

_And who would ever suppose that that_

_Was Grizabella the Glamour Cat."_

Bombalurina struts up to her sister and joins in:

"_Grizabella the Glamour Cat."_

"_Grizabella the Glamour Cat."_

I slowly slide out of the pipe and sing with the others:

"_And who would ever suppose that that_

_Was Grizabella the Glamour Cat."_

She totters off the clearing and is gone in a second. Demeter dashes after her to see where she's disappeared to, but the music's tone immediately switches to a more lively and spirited one.

Mistoffelees rushes to the right side of the clearing to introduce the next visiting cat. And—

Holy mother of a half-dead pollicle.

BJ has really gained weight since the last time I've seen him…How can he possibly be related to Victoria? He's probably three times my size.

Bustopher Jones twiddles with his fancy-looking mustache in the mirror of his spoon while Jennyanydots and Bombalurina sing:

"_Bustopher Jones is not skin and bones."_

"_In fact, he's remarkably fat."_

Understatement of the century.

"_He doesn't haunt pubs."_

"Hey Plates, I can't see Bustopher. Mind if you…" A weight climbs itself onto my back with no warning and lies on my shoulders uncomfortably.

"POUNCIVAL! Get off me!" I hiss at him.

"Just…hold on for a second," the sixteen-year old tom says, adjusting his position on my shoulders. "Lemme salute him first."

I swat backwards at him, but he dodges my paw, causing me to swerve sharply to the left.

"_He's the cat we all meet as he walks down the street_

_In his coat of fastidious black."_

_Okay, that's it._ I lower my head and drop him to the ground with a thud. Pouncival scowls at me, and I smirk back at him.

"_No commonplace mousers_

_Have such well-cut trousers."_

"_Or such an impeccable back."_

Asparagus is standing right behind me, so it's no surprise when I'm smacked in the back of the head again. I duck my head down to avoid another whack. No matter where I go, this tom always seems to be right behind me with his paw lifted and ready to strike…

"_In the whole of St. James's the smartest of names_

_Is the name of this Brummel of cats."_

"_And we're all of us proud to be nodded or bowed to by_

_Bustopher Jones in white spats."_

"_In the whole of St. James's the smartest of names_

_Is the name of this Brummel of cats."_

I catch sight of Asparagus advancing towards me again, so I quickly get up on my knees and roll away from him as fast as possible until I end up at the opposite side of the clearing.

Skimbleshanks sets down a top hat and sweeps the dust off of it with his tail. Bustopher plops down on it with a huff. Let's hope that hat is sturdy enough to hold him up…

"_My visits are occasional_

_To the Senior Educational_

_And it is against the rules_

_For any one cat to belong both to that _

_And the Joint Superior Schools._

_For a similar reason_

_When game is in season_

_I'm found not at Fox's, but Blimp's._

_I am frequently seen at the gay Stage & Screen_

_Which is famous for winkles and shrimps."_

I can barely sing along in the background I'm laughing too hard. This tom's obsessed with food. _Obsessed_, I tell you. He hasn't sung about any other topic ever since he got here.

"_In the season of venison, I give my ben'son to the_

_Pothunter's succulent bones._

_And just before noon's not a moment too soon_

_To drop in for a drink at the Drones._

_When I'm seen in a hurry_

_There's probably curry_

_At the Siamese or at the Glutton._

_If I look full of gloom_

_Then I've lunched at the tomb_

_On cabbage, rice pudding, and a mutton."_

"_In the whole of St. James's the smartest of names_

_Is the name of this Brummel of Cats._

_And we're all of us proud to be nodded or bowed to by_

_Bustopher Jones in white—_

_Bustopher Jones in white—_

_Bustopher Jones in white spats."_

BJ attempts to dance, but he's tipping backwards farther and farther…

And I'm hoping somebody will catch him…

And finally Misto does after a brief distraction with Asparagus. He pulls the hefty tom up, who then staggers forward dramatically, and Mistoffelees has to catch him again.

"_So much in this way passes Bustopher's day_

_At one club or another he's found."_

While all the other toms are amused by Bustopher's…unique style of dancing, I find it to be the perfect opportunity to get back at Asparagus for all the pain he's caused me. I get down onto the ground and slowly slither my away over to him, ready to yank his tail with all my might.

"_He's a twenty-five pounder!"_

Skimbleshanks sees me about to tug hard on Asparagus's tail, so he grabs my ear and pulls me up. I discreetly stick my tongue out at him and get into line with the other toms, who are standing up nice and straight to make a good impression for Bustopher Jones. I decide to do the same, so I can at least be liked by Vicky's uncle. I scrub the dirt—and agh, dried blood?—off my arms and ready for this "inspection".

"_I am still in the prime."_

HA! He patted me! HaHA! At least SOMEBODY likes me here…

"_It must and it shall be spring in Pall Mall_

_While Bustopher Jones wears white—_

_Bustopher Jones wears white—_

_Bustopher Jones wears white spats."_

The stout tuxedo tom hands an infatuated Jenny a rose and hollers, "Toodle pip!"

Jennyanydots faints into the arms of Jellylorum and Bombalurina, but loud sirens immediately wake her up again.

The second Demeter shouts, "Macavity!", Victoria bolts out of there. But it's not Macavity; his scent is not in the air. I try to stop the white queen from panicking, but she's too rattled to listen. All the Jellicles, save Munkustrap and Alonzo, have already fled the clearing in fear that Macavity would spot them. I simply run off to the left, maybe find Adolph and have a decent conversation with him.

"_Hahahahahaha!"_

"_Shhh!"_

I stealthily meander through the junkpiles all the way to the junkyard fence, the voices of Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer gradually subduing in the background.

"Adolph!" I call out in a hushed voice. The tom was originally on the other side of the junkyard when the Ball began, but his scent carried me over in this direction, and sure enough, Adolph responds, "Pst! Platooo!"

I follow his voice to see him crouched down on the opposite side of the fence, peeking in-between mountains of junkpiles at such an angle so that he is able to see the clearing.

"Hey, Plates! It's my friends' song!" Adolph says, chuckling at the two thieving twins' dance.

"_As knockabou' clowns,_

_Quick-chainge comedians, _

_Toightrope wohkers and_

_Acrobats…"_

"Who, Jerrie and Teazer?" I ask.

"Yeah! We had some good times back at the ol' warehouse." Adolph sighs.

"Good for you, maybe," I point out. "You were their living nightmare. You stepped on Rumpleteazer's tail _twenty-three times_ in ONE day and claimed it was an 'accident'."

"It was a joke!" Adolph defends himself.

"_When the familaiy ashembles foh Shundaiy dinnah_

_Theih moinds maide up dat they won't get thinnah."_

"You nearly shot Mungojerrie with a crossbow!"

"It was defective!"

I roll my eyes. That's his excuse for everything.

"_And saiy in a voice dat is broken wif sorrah,_

'_Oi'm afraid you must wait and 'ave dinnah tomorrah_

_Foh the joint 'as gone from the oven loike dat!'"_

"_Then the familaiy'll shay,_

'_It's dat 'orrible cat!"_

"Hey, Plates, can you do something for me?"

"Don't call me 'Plates' then maybe I will," I scoff back.

"Jemima doesn't know I'm here. Can you tell her I'm watching her every move?"

"I'll say it in a less creepy way, but sure."

"Thanks, Plates—" I glare at him. "—Platesoooo…"

"_We go frough the 'ouse loike an 'urricaine."_

"_And no sobah pehson—"_

"_Could taike 'is oath!"_

"_Wos it Mungojerrie?"_

"_Or Ruuuuumpleteazah?"_

"_Or could you 'ave swohn dat it moight 'ave been bof?"_

"I should be heading back," I tell him.

"Don't forget to tell Jemima," Adolph reminds me.

"Yeah, I won't. See ya, Adolph."

"Later, Plater."

Ignoring his new nickname for me, I zoom along the pathways back to the clearing. _Don't forget to tell Jemima_, I remind myself. _But…what if she hates me?_ _She wouldn't, she's Jemima, for the Everlasting Cat's sake._

"Oh, those two kits!" I hear Jenny hiss.

A few steps later, Jennyanydots comes into view with her paws on her hips and Skimbleshanks trying to calm her down.

"_Or down from the loibrary caime a loud PING!_

_From a vase which wos commonlaiy said to be miiiiiing."_

I spot Jemima giggling as Jerrie and Teazer pretend to drop another one of those humans' precious vases. I tap her shoulder. "Jemima?"

The red and black queen spins around, utterly startled. "Oh. Hello? Are you…a friend of Adolph?"

I nod. "Yeah. I just talked to him and—"

"Those rascals! Hurry, catch them, catch them!" Jenny hollers, nearly trampling us over as she and Skimble run toward the clearing.

"_And thehe's nothing at oll to be done about dat!"_

"Come on!" Jemima squeals, taking my arm and pulling me up from behind the TSE-1. We slide down just as Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are attempting to escape with their bags full of stolen goods. As the duo try to exit through Demeter and Mistoffelees, I pull Jemima closer and whisper into her ear, "Adolph is watching you, and, um, your every move." Her eyes widen as she stares up at me with a growing grin. "He says you're incredible," I add. "He's really lucky to have you."

Alonzo and Munkustrap chuck the Jerrie and Teazer's bags over the twins' heads. After failing to catch their goods, they turn back with a sour look, disappointed with the loss of their loot.

Jemima chuckles at their scowls and faces me to reply, but a soft, peaceful tune wafts through the junkyard before a word can come out of her mouth. Mistoffelees sniffs the air and catches the scent of an apparently well-known cat. His mouth moves, but his words are so soft-spoken that I can't hear what he's saying.

Jem sinks to the floor and sniffs the air while I follow her lead. Her face suddenly lights up again, and I paw her back to get her to tell me what the sudden softness is all about. "Jemima? What's going on?"

She doesn't answer—just looks out into the distance, a glimmer of hope and merriment appearing in her brown eyes.

"Jemima?" No answer, just a bigger smile. "Jemima!" I tickle her stomach to get her attention.

"_I believe it is—"_

I can't hear the rest because of Jemima's giggle fit. Jemima rolls around on the ground as I try to tickle the story out of her. She rotates me onto my back and tickles me too, but do I look like a ticklish tom to you?

"_Well of all things_

_Can it be really?_

_Yes, no, ho, hi, oh my eye." _

"What's going on? Who's coming?" I ask her one more time, but Jemima can barely gasp for breath, let alone answer me. Then Jennyanydots twists her head around and catches sight of me tickling Jemima to death. I immediately shoot up from my spot, but Jenny already has a punishment planned for me. At first I think she's just petting my headfur...but then she extends her claws out and scratches deeply through all my headfur, making extreme contact with my skin. I slap her paw away, not caring how rude I'm being. Because it…it kind of hurt, to be honest. Both emotionally and physically.

"_My mind may be wondering but I confess_

_I believe it is Old Deuteronomy."_

So it's the tribe leader.

Fantastic. He probably hates me too, just like every other adult here.

I stretch and recline beside Jemima as Munkustrap takes his place in the center of all us Jellicles.

"_Old Deuteronomy's lived a long time_

_He's a cat who has lived many lives in succession._

_He was famous in proverb and famous in rhyme_

_A long while before Queen Victoria's accession."_

Victoria, feeling quite proud to have her name mentioned, poses rather gracefully and shares a quick nuzzle with her tribe's Protector before Rum Tum Tugger interrupts:

"_Old Deuteronomy's buried nine wives…"_

Everyone revolves around to face the Maine Coon standing a bit too majestically on top of the pipe. Jemima drapes a delicate arm around me, and I protectively lift a leg over her in return, because this queen hasn't whacked or thumped or clawed me once in my entire life.

"…_And more I am tempted to say, ninety-nine_

_And his numerous progeny_ _prospers and thrives_

_And the village is proud of him in his decline."_

We all roll onto our backs and stretch out our limbs.

"_At the sight of that placid and bland physiognomy_

_When he sits in the sun…"_

And suddenly it feel like something grabs my leg and pulls it up into the air. It's a weird feeling, but I figure the Jellicle Moon is gravitationally pulling me towards it.

"…_on the vicarage wall."_

I relax my muscles and scan the Jellicles around me, all whom were also being attracted to the Jellicle Moon.

"_The oldest inhabitant croaks:_

'_Well, of all things_

_Can it be really?_

_Yes, no, ho, hi, oh my eye._

_My mind may be wondering but I confess_

_I believe it is Old Deuteronomy.'"_

Tugger and Munkustrap dramatically point out past us, and we eagerly turn our heads to see our wise leader come forth. Out of the corner of my eye, though, I notice Asparagus advancing towards me again. _Oh, no, not this time. This time…it's payback._

As the Jellicles stand up in a collective group, I purposely step on Asparagus's tail but act as if nothing were wrong. The adult tom tries to pull away without making a scene, and after a few struggles, I decide to have mercy for him and release his tail from under my hind paw.

"_My mind may be wandering but I confess_

_I believe it is Old Deuteronomy."_

The second Mistoffelees presents Old Deuteronomy to us, the Jellicles and I dive over to him excitedly.

"_Well of all things_

_Can it be really?_

_Yes, no, ho, hi, oh my eye!"_

_Hey, Old D! Look, I'm here! I'm a Jellicle again! Pretty cool, right? …Old D?_ I brush my head against his furry leg, but Deuteronomy continues to seemingly ignore me. He walks right past me even as I attempt to get his attention again. The Jellicle Leader steps up onto the tire and grandly acknowledges every single one of us…except for me, probably.

"_My legs may be tottery_

_I must go slow_

_And be careful of Old Deuteronomy."_

As he sings, I almost make eye connection with him, and maybe I do, but his smile is too big for me to deserve. Maybe he was looking at the cat next to me? Behind me? Certainly not me.

Deuteronomy lethargically sits himself down with the help of Munkustrap. The silver tabby turns to the Jellicles and announces:

"_Jellicle cats meet once a year_

_On the night we make the Jellicle Choice."_

A paw gently positions itself on my shoulder. I slowly twist my head around and nearly yelp at the sight of Cassandra sitting right beside me, her paw on my right shoulder. A bit terrified now, I duck under her arm and escape her touch. I always thought this queen was mysterious, but now she's just…downright weird.

"…_Jellicle cats can all rejoice…!"_

I hop up excitedly, because the Mating Dances are usually held around this time. And won't Vicky get a surprise then! _Shoot, what if she doesn't want me to be her mate?_ I wonder to myself. _What if I get…rejected? Gah, how humiliating would that be…_

Trumpets blare, and as I'm getting up and moving to the side, I notice Cassandra following me. I quickly roll on my knees again, getting as far away from her as possible. With a pouty look on her face, the Siamese queen saunters off to the opposite side, where she can stare at me all she wants but can't do anything to get her paws on me again.

Munkustrap narrates:

"…_of the Awful Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles_

_Together with some account of the participation_

_Of the pugs and the poms_

_And the intervention of the great_

_Rumpus Cat._

_The Pekes and the Pollicles everyone knows_

_Are proud and implacable passionate foes…"_

Ain't that the truth. I begin to tune out Munkustrap's story, for who could know about dogs more than a henchcat of Macavity? Instead I focus my attention on Victoria, who is lying beside the faithful leader of the tribe. I wish she would look this way. Her eyes seem to be glued to Munkustrap's figure, though, but I don't stop gazing at her, just in case her eyes momentarily fleet to my direction.

"_They now and again join into the fray, and they—"_

"_Bark!"_

"_Bark!"_

"_Bark!"_

"_Bark!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_Until you can hear them all over the park._

_Now on the occasion of which I should speak_

_Almost nothing had happened for nearly a week_

_And that's a long time for a Pol or a Peke._

_The bi police dog was away from its beat_

_I don't know the reason, but most people think_

_He slipped into the Wellington Arms for a drink._

_And no one at all_

_Was about on the street_

_When a Peke—"_

Rumpleteazer leaps out with a Peke-like sack over her head and bigger paws to complete the look.

"—_and a Pollicle—"_

Mungojerrie poses ridiculously for us with a shoe on his head, juice boxes on his front paws, and his hind paws stuck into pillows.

"—_happened to meet."_

The two calicos innocuously glare at each other and struggle to act vicious towards one another.

"_They did not advance_

_Nor exactly retreat_

_But they glared at each other_

_And scraped their hind feet…_

_And started to—"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK! BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK?"_

"_Bark?"_

Quite predictable Jerrie would mess this up. He was never the greatest at following directions over at Mac's place. It got him into serious trouble then, it'll get him into trouble now. Munkustrap glowered at him and tried again:

"_And they started to—"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK! BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

Shaking his head, Munkustrap continued:

"_Until you could hear them all over the park._

_Now the Peke, although people may say what they please_

_Is no British dog, but a Heathen Chinese_

_And so all the Pekes, when they heard the uproar, _

_Some came through the window, some came through the door._

_There were surely a dozen more likely to score._

_And together they started to grumble and wheeze_

_In their huffery-snuffery Heathen Chinese._

_But a terrible din is what Pollicles like_

_For your Pollicle dog is a dour Yorkshire tyke." _

Most of the toms are now lined up wearing similar dog costumes. Pouncival salutes at Munkustrap and attempts to march with his hind paws stuffed into boxes. Pouncival bumps the Jellicle Protector away and leads his little "army" consisting of Mungojerrie, Tumblebrutus, Asparagus, and Coricopat around the clearing. Alonzo soon joins in, and I feel obligated to do so as well, being the only tomkit not involved with the number. As soon as they pass by me, I stuff a shoebox with two ties flapping out of it on my head and stride out into the clearing, actually _participating_ in the Jellicle Ball.

"_The Poodle, the Pom, the Alsation_

_And the Mastiff who walks on a chain."_

I am just beginning to feel a little proud about joining into the fun when I look up from the ground and realize everyone is going the opposite way, or rather _I _am going the wrong direction. As if the mortification isn't enough, good ol' Lonzy whacks me over the head with his juice box and hisses "Idiot!" before marching back into line. I snicker silently to myself and tag along, watching as Pouncival tries to take on Munkustrap.

"_And to those who are frisky and frolical _

_Let my meaning be perfectly plain."_

Pouncival throws down his tissue boxes, ready for a tussle, while Munku simply continues to keep the tom from charging at him.

"_That my name is little Tom Pollicle_

_And you better not do it again!"_

After he had enough of Pouncival's squirming, Munkustrap drops the tom and disregards his small cry of pain.

"_And his braw Scottish cousins are snappers and biters…"_

We toms dressed like pollicles join together in the corner of the clearing (except for Pouncival, who was still lying on the ground), where Tumblebrutus and Alonzo point fingers (or rather juice boxes) at me and laugh hysterically. I glower back at both of them and harden my glare at Asparagus, who is gritting his teeth from my stupidness.

"…_with their pipers in order_

_Playing 'When the Blue Bonnets Come Over the Border'."_

Oh, those bagpipes. Can't believe my father gave them to him. Of course, thirteen-year old Macavity wanted to give his little brother a present that would surely irritate the entire tribe. Every time Tugger practiced this instrument, the tribe was in pain, and Macavity loved that.

I roll my eyes at the screeching notes but dance foolishly with the other toms nevertheless. I spot Victoria standing closeby, holding a poodle helmet in her paws.

"Put that on and I'll take a good picture of ya, 'kay?" I joke. Vicky giggles and replies, "No!", swatting me away.

I dance insanely with the other toms for a little while before falling to the ground to make way for the poodles, but once Mistoffelees stops dancing, his shoe flies off his back paw and spirals onto the center of the clearing. I'm about to get up and get it for him, but the four queenkits are already heading towards it.

"_Then the Pugs and the Poms held no longer aloof…"_

As Electra passes by Mistoffelees's shoe, she tries to kick it back, but it ends up going the opposite way than intended.

"_Joined into the din with a—"_

"_Bark!"_

Tantomile's barking is so overexaggerated that I jump back a bit, so I roar back at her:

"_Bark!"_

"_Bark!"_

"_Bark!"_

_ "Bark!"_

_ "Bark!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_BARK!"_

"_Until you could hear them all over the park."_

I stomp towards Tantomile, chanting:

"_Huffery-snuffery, huffery-snuffery, huffery-snuffery, huffery-SNUFF!"_

"_Until you could hear them all over the park!"_

I bark and howl at Tantomile with all my might, because she is really fuming by now. She's letting her hatred of me out through acting like a pollicle. Fine by me—it looks like she'll explode any minute now, and it's kind of hilarious.

Munkustrap darts over between Tantomile and me and screams, "NOOOOOOO!"

Way to yell in my ear, Munk. I drop to the ground and slowly back away.

"_When these bold heroes together assembled_

_The traffic all stopped_

_And the underground trembled._

_And some of the neighbors were so much afraid_

_That they started to ring up the Fire Brigade!_

_When suddenly up from a small basement flat_

_Why who should stalk out but_

_The Great Rumpus Cat!"_

There's a crash from behind the TSE-1, and I scurry offstage to let this so-called "hero" go centerstage.

"_His eyes were like fireballs—_

_Fearfully blazing."_

This Rumpus Cat takes a swing at Munkustrap, who hastily ducks and has a mini-staring contest with the Rumpus Cat.

"_He gave a great yawn_

_And his jaws were amazing."_

Rumpus Cat snaps his jaws together at Munkustrap. The Jellicle Protector jolts backwards to avoid having his face bitten off, and even I am wondering why this brave hero has a grudge on the silver tabby.

"_And when he looked out through the bars of the area_

_You never saw anything_

_Fiercer!"_

Rumpus Cat's hair spikes up dramatically as if Macavity just shocked him with lightning.

"…_Or hairier._

_And what with the glare of his eyes and his yawning_

_The Pekes and the Pollicles quickly took warning._

_He looked to the sky and gave a great leap_

_And every last one of them scattered like sheep."_

As I run off to take off my pollicle costume, I can hear Munkustrap sing and battle with Rumpus Cat for the attention of the Jellicles. Just as we come back to the clearing to finish up the number, we hear those dreadful bagpipes again. Everyone stops and turns to the Maine Coon blowing into his football dramatically. After his little solo, the Rum Tum Tugger looks up at us and grins, going "Yeah? Yeah? …No?"

"_All hail and all bow to the Great Rumpus Cat!"_

The Jellicles bow grandly to the Rumpus Cat, and that egotistical tom bows to himself, too. Once the music stops, everyone slides over to Old Deuteronomy, and I take this chance to sit next to Victoria. She doesn't notice me beside her, so I pick up her fluffy, white tail with my mouth and wag it around. She's too focused on her respected leader to notice me, so I tug harder on her tail and paw her back.

"_Jellicle cats and dogs all must…"_

Victoria turns around and gives a small smile, then giggles when she sees her chewed-up tail. We share short glances at each other while we listen to Deuteronomy's wise words. With each look her smile grows wider, and finally Vicky rests her head on my shoulder, but only for a short, wonderful moment, because she'll get in a lot of trouble if she is seen being affectionate towards me.

"…_come to dust!"_

More thunder echoes throughout the junkyard, accompanied by flashes of bright light. Only this time, the scent of the notorious Napoleon of Crime is in the air.

And I'm determined to follow it.

"_Macavity!"_

I sniff the air to let my father's scent lead me right to him. Victoria pirouettes around and cocks her head at me, confused as to what I am doing. I sprint away from the clearing and wind through the many mountains of junk in my way. I can't let Macavity ruin the Jellicle Ball for everyone, especially Vicky.

"_Jellicle Cats come out tonight_

_Jellicle Cats come one, come all."_

I find myself panting as I tear through the yard, wondering if maybe he has already reached the clearing by now. Trusting my nose completely, I ignore the thought and hop up a partially destroyed piano, then begin scaling the pile of useless junk. And sure enough, there at the top is that infamous ginger cat.

"Plato," he says.

"Macavity," I respond. "You're here for a reason. I don't want you to attack the Jellicles, especially not today. Just leave."

"You do not intimidate me, Plato," my father scoffs. "Now step aside." He waves his paw in my direction in order to shoo me away, but he's not escaping from me so easily this time. I shoot out my arm and grab his wrist, holding it tight.

"I told you to go," I hiss, now becoming utterly infuriated with my father.

"Daring, now, aren't we, Plato?" Macavity says with a smirk. He executes a perfect kick to my gut, making me release my grip on him, but I plant my hind paws firmly into the junk and refuse to fall off the mound.

"Leave, Macavity!" I pivot to the left and perform a roundhouse kick to his side. Macavity easily stops my leg from reaching him with his paw, so I quickly snap up my left leg and strike him right under his chin.

_Everlasting Cat, what have I done,_ I think. My eyes widen in fear when an angry growl erupts from the Monster of Depravity, and I barely have time to think—let alone react—before I see his fist aiming towards my head.

There's a second of intense pain, and then it all goes black.

~\~/~\~/~\~/~\~/~\~

"_And not long ago_

_This phenomenal cat_

_Produced seven kittens_

_Right out of a hat."_

I open my eyes as if I had just woken up from another typical dream. _What…Where am I? _I blink a few times and dart my eyes from one side to another. _Did I just hear Tugger? What am I lying down on…?_ I dig my claw into the ground and pull up a mass of dirt. _…What? _Just as I am getting up from the ground, a throbbing sensation storms through my head. I crane my neck up to see the top of the junkpile positioned before me. _The junkpile I must have fallen off of…or rather pushed off of—by Macavity._ I force myself up from the ground and run my fingers through my headfur for a moment, trying to recall everything that had just occurred.

_Wait a minute_, I think. I snap my fingers and charge towards the clearing. _The Jellicle Ball. Who was Tugger singing about just now?_

I completely disregard the constant pounding in my head each time I take a step—all I think is about getting to Victoria, getting to my Vicky.

I can't tell if I'm nearing the main clearing or not—there is absolute silence. Then something bright red catches my eye. The crimson cloak is being dragged forward by a tuxedo cat—and a sparkling one at that. _Mistoffelees_. Even though Victoria's brother doesn't glimmer like that on a daily basis, I can recognize the petite tom anywhere. I zip along the path and finally slide into the clearing without making a huge scene. Just as I'm coming in, Mistoffelees lifts the red cloak and out comes Old Deuteronomy. I discreetly raise an eyebrow at this, unaware of when the tribe's leader went missing. Most likely it was my father's work. Hopefully he hasn't done too much damage to the tribe.

"_Oh, well I never, was there ever_

_A cat so clever as Magical Mr. Mistoffelees."_

My eyes scan the rest of the clearing to make sure no other cat had been kitnapped. They fall on Jemima at the opposite edge of the clearing. She's resting her head on a young, spotted tom's shoulder.

Adolph. I didn't expect him to come so early. But I'm glad he has finally made his way to his queen.

"_Oh, well I never, was there ever_

_A cat so clever as Magical Mr. Mistoffelees!"_

I stand up with the others and crowd around the brilliant Mistoffelees, who soon breaks free and runs to the corner of the clearing to acknowledge none other than Cassandra, his assistant for the magic trick that might have just saved Deuteronomy's life.

"_Oh, well I never, was there ever_

_A cat so clever as Magical Mr. Mistoffelees!"_

Vicky turns her head in my direction for a brief second, and in that time I am able to lure her into meeting me in front of the TSE-1.

"_Oh, well I never was there ever_

_A cat so clever as…"_

I've never seen her so happy in my life. She runs straight into my arms, and I hold her tight, but she's too elated to care that I might be squeezing the guts out of her. I close my eyes and breathe in her scent, run my fingers through her smooth fur. Can't wait for the Mating Dance…

_"I give you…_

_The Magical…_

_The Marvelous…_

_Mr. Mistoffelees!"_

The magical, marvelous, mystical Mistoffelees leaps into the air and performs an outstanding straddle jump before vanishing right in midair.

Everybody now turns their attention to Old Deuteronomy and slowly crouch down to the ground. Victoria kneels down in front of me, breathing steadily and as peaceful as can be. I nuzzle her neck a little before Munkustrap follows after his father and reaches out to him. Just as they are about to touch, an angelic voice breaks out from the back:

"_Daylight,_

_See the dew on a sunflower_

_And a rose that is fading_

_Roses wither away._

_Like the sunflower,_

_I yearn to turn my face to the dawn._

_I am waiting for the day."_

As Jemima finishes her solo, I spot Adolph, once again, hiding behind junkpile and sneakily watching his soon-to-be mate. He gestures for me to come, so I swiftly tiptoe over to him.

"Adolph, what happened?" I ask in a hushed voice. "You were out here for a little while. Why're you back into hiding?"

"'Cause," he replies, still looking behind me at Jemima, "Some cat named Asparagus told me to scram." Adolph faces me with a smirk. "You did pretty well, Plates."

I ignore the nickname and instead ponder what he means. "What?"

"_Now Old Deuteronomy just before dawn_

_Through a silence you feel you could cut with a knife_

_Announces the cat who can now be reborn_

_And come back to a different Jellicle life."_

"Sorry, gotta go, Adolph." I don't wait for him to even say a goodbye, and instead I slither back over to Victoria, who is anxiously waiting for the tribe leader's decision along with the rest of the Jellicles. Old Deuteronomy opens his mouth to reveal the name of the lucky Jellicle who gets to be reborn, but Mistoffelees nose suddenly starts to twitch, and he shoots up from his spot. The conjuring cat turns around and catches sight of a weary Grizabella, once again trudging across the clearing. The Rum Tum Tugger struts up to her and mockingly "shows the way" for the old queen. I zoom into Vicky and Misto's pipe and watch as every cat hisses at Grizabella and sharply turns the opposite way. Of course, the always-forgiving Victoria stretches her paw out to touch her, but Jellylorum quickly pulls her back and twirls Vicky away. She scurries back to Old Deuteronomy and ducks her head down. Old Deuteronomy beckons for the grey queen to present herself and her story to the tribe. In a voice that clearly shows how much she mourns her current life, Grizabella sings:

"_Memory,_

_Turn your face to the moonlight_

_Let your memory lead you_

_Open up enter in._

_If you find there,_

_The meaning of what happiness is,_

_Then a new life will begin._

_Memory,_

_All alone in the moonlight_

_I can smile at the old days_

_I was beautiful then._

_I remember the time I knew what happiness was_

_Let the memory live again._

_Burnt out ends of smoky days…"_

I glance over at Victoria at the opposite side of the clearing. Her ears are perked up, and I can tell her heart is breaking for this old queen. My eyes fall on her collar. Pink with diamonds. It suits her well. My father knows just what's right for her.

"_Daylight,_

_I must wait for the sunrise_

_I must think of a new life_

_And I mustn't give in."_

I can't help but apply Grizabella's song to Victoria's own life. Everything she has been through must be haunting her mind every second of every day. I just hope that after tonight, after we perform the mating dance, she'll be able to forget about her stay with Macavity—forever.

"_When the dawn comes_

_Tonight will be a memory too_

_And a new day_

_Will begin."_

Overwhelmed with sadness and despair, Grizabella collapses to the ground and is seemingly unable to get up, but not if Jemima has anything to do with it.

_ "Sunlight through the trees in summer_

_Endless masquerading."_

"_Like a flower as the dawn is breaking."_

"_The memory is fading."_

Grizabella the Glamour Cat gathers enough strength and courage to push herself up from the ground and belt out:

"_Touch me_

_It's so easy to leave me_

_All alone with the memory_

_Of my days in the sun._

_If you touch me_

_You'll understand what happiness is_

_Look, a new day has begun."_

As Grizabella begins to slump off, Victoria gracefully stands up one last time, and nobody tries to stop her. She looks to Deuteronomy for consent, then slowly extends her arm out to the grey queen. And she successfully touches her.

The look on Grizabella's face is one I don't think I will ever forget. Relief seems to instantly flood over her face, and all signs of past anguish have disappeared. The snow white queen nuzzles Grizabella's paws before handing her off to Mistoffelees, who is just the beginning of a long line of Jellicles waiting to formally accept her. She goes down the line, smiling at each and every feline, from Alonzo to Skimbleshanks to Jennyanydots. I emerge from the pipe and wink at Vicky. She grins at me and blushes—even turns away, she's so pink.

"_Up, up, up, past the Russell Hotel._

_Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer._

_Up, up, up, past the Russell Hotel._

_Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer._

_Up, up, up, past the Russell Hotel._

_Up, up, up, up, past the Heaviside Layer."_

Old Deuteronomy gestures grandly to the great tire before him. He leads a timid Grizabella up to the tire that is ready for liftoff.

"_Up, up, up, past the Jellicle Moon._

_Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer._

_Up, up, up, past the Jellicle Moon._

_Up, up, up, up, to the Heaviside Layer."_

The tire starts rising into the air and floating away. Victoria and Mistoffelees have their arms around each other, watching this mystical event occur together.

And holy Everlasting Cat, the Everlasting Cat's paw descends from above, ready to take the chosen one to the Heaviside Layer and later to be reborn. Once the first step is taken, we all sing:

"_The Mystical Divinity of Unashamed Felinity_

_Round the cathedral rang, 'Vivat!'"_

The claw raises, and Grizabella disappears from sight.

"_Life to the Everlasting Cat."_

Once the last of the smoke thins, everyone turns to Deuteronomy with a "Wooh, what a night" expression. But it's definitely not over yet.

"_You've heard of several kinds of cat_

_And my opinion now is that_

_You should need no interpreter_

_To understand our character._

_You've learned enough to take the view_

_That cats are very much like you._

_You've seen us both at work and games…"_

I quietly sigh to myself when my eyes just happen to land on Vicky again. That same queen I helped my father torture is about to become my mate. I still don't understand life sometimes.

"…_But how would you address a cat?_

_So first, your memory I'll jog_

_And say: A cat is not a dog."_

We to turn to the gates of the junkyard and repeat:

"_So first, your memory I'll jog_

_And say: A cat is not a dog."_

"_With cats, some say one rule is true_

_Don't speak 'til you are spoken to._

_Myself, I do not hold with that_

_I say you should address a cat_

_But always bear in mind that he r__esents familiarity._

_You bow_

_And, taking off your hat,_

_Address him in this form: O' Cat!_

_Before a cat will condescend_

_To treat you as a trusted friend,_

_Some little token of esteem_

_Is needed, like a dish of cream_

_And you might now and then supply_

_Some caviar, or Strassburg pie_

_Some potted grouse or salmon paste_

_He's sure to have his personal taste_

_And so in time you reach your aim_

_And call him by his name."_

"_A cat's entitled to expect these _

_Evidences of respect._

_So this is this and that is that…"_

I'm growing a little too impatient now. We are standing here reminding each other that cats are not dogs when I _could_ be doing the mating dance with _my Victoria_.

"_A cat's entitled to expect these_

_Evidences of respect._

_So this is this and that is that_

_And that's how you address _

_A cat!"_

As I face the sky with my arms up high, I notice the Jellicle Moon is no longer at its peak. The Jellicles turn to their wise leader for further instructions.

"Another Jellicle Year has passed," Deuteronomy remarks, "and the next has arrived. We have fought through the troubles and surprises this Ball has brought us, and I could not be more proud." He smiles at each and every one of us, including me. "Until next year, my fellow Jellicles." And with that, Munkustrap helps his father over the tire and back to his luxurious den.

What? That's it? Is the Mating Dance held on a separate day or something? Tomorrow, maybe?

"Eeeeeeeee!" A queen jumps on my back and wraps her arms around my neck. "Plato! I…I can't believe you…Eeeeeeee!" Victoria squeals. I pick her up and twirl her around, because a happy Victoria equals a happy me.

"Wasn't our dance so wonderful, Plato?" she asks, her grey eyes shining as bright as the Jellicle Moon.

I give her a funny look. "We were barely ever together during the Ball."

"Well…until the _dance_, that is," Victoria says, her giggling like the chimes of a bell.

I raise an eyebrow. "Which one?"

The bells continue to ring. "The one where we were the only two cats in the center of the clearing, Plato!" She hugs me again, and I wrap my arms around her waist and hold her tight, but I seriously have no idea what she's talking about.

"You were amazing, Plato," Vicky continues, breaking from the embrace. "It means a lot that you came. I wasn't sure how to react when you came up to me, but you had those 'sweet and inviting eyes' and—eeeeeeeeee! I can't believe you danced with me!" She hugs me yet again, only harder this time. "I can't believe we are mates, Plato."

I can't hold it in any longer: "WHAT?"

Vicky jumps back, startled. "Plato? What's wrong?"

I nervously run my fingers through my headfur. "Did you just say we're mates? You and I?"

"What did you think the dance was for, then, Plato?" she inquires, confused by my confusion.

I take a deep breath and finally ask the question lingering around in my mind: "What dance, Vicky?"

"It was the Mating Dance, remember?"

"Sorry, but…when was that?"

"After the Song of the Jellicles."

"Sorry…when was that?"

"After Demeter sensed Macavity was nearby. You must remember that, don't you?"

"Yeah, and then I ran after hi—" I cut myself off. I cut my breathing off. I cut my blinking off. I would cut my head off, too, if I could. I immediately embrace Vicky again, only I'm not letting go so soon this time.

"Vicky, I need to tell you something…but please don't cry."

* * *

><p><strong>Hehehe...he...<strong>

**Remember in chapter 33 when Macavity assured Victoria that their waltz would not be their last dance? ...This is what he means by that.**

**What do you think? Next chapter will be back in Vicky's point of view, and I'm hoping to post it soon!**

**Surprised? Weirded-out? Tell me what you think!**

**Thanks so much for reading! Thank you to my reviewers! You're all so nice and it makes me feel all warm and bubbly inside :) And, of course, I faint every time I get a review haha xD**

**Please review! Thanks so much for reading!**


	36. Wants

**A/N: Hey hey hey! I can't believe I updated this quickly xD And by quickly I mean in less than a month's time. Thanks for being so patient! :D You guys rock!**

**So remember how at the beginning of this story I started at a totally random part which was totally uncalled for? XD I have been thinking about adding flashbacks from before Plato and Vicky's first escape attempt...and this chapter includes one of them! It's short, but I hope you like it ;)**

**Reviews mean so much to me, and so do the people who review :) My response to the most recent reviews:**

**Awesome Guest...uh...#1!: Haha I totally agree with you ;) Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm really glad you like the story :D**

**Awesome Guest II! (because Roman Numerals makes everything look fancy): I'm glad you like the twist! At first I wasn't sure if I should do it or not, and obviously if I didn't add the twist, the story would go down a whole different path xD Luckily my friend Pink Schmetterling helped me decide and I'm happy with the decision, and I'm REALLY happy you are too! Your support means a lot, thank you! :D**

**Akaasha: I'm guessing you were reviewing for ch. 35...? Haha xD Anyway, thank you so very much for all your support and for reading BOTH my stories! :D It means a lot!**

**Bombastrap: You always know how to make me laugh when I read your reviews XD Thank you for the awesome reviews! I'm glad you like the story :) :) And PS: The imagery has a really really really REALLY deep meaning XD haha.**

**Pink Schmetterling: WHY YOU SO LATE AT REVIEWING?_!_ *caveman growl* Haha just kidding! :D Review at your own pace ;) Thank you sooo much for everything! **

**Anony mouse101: Thank you for the wonderful review! And also thank you for telling me that the story was kinda dark xD If you hadn't told me I would have never known. Unfortunately (and I really am sorry about this) this chapter turned out kind of (okay, more like really) dark as well. It's not that I'm not taking your review into consideration! Haha :) I'm really glad you told me and I'll try to add some more fluff to balance things out ;D I think there have been like...what...two chapters with fluff in them? Maybe one? :p haha. I definitely see what you mean now...Thank you very much!**

**Also, thank you sooo much for everyone has favorited and followed me and my story, and also to all you wonderful readers who have continued to read my story no matter how random it gets!**

**I just can't stop rambling on and on, can I? I think I just added like, a thousand more words to this chapter xD Okay, now I'm going to stop rambling on about how I'm rambling on and get to the point. I'm actually trying my hand at figurative language and imagery. I wrote a few things out but when I read it over, it seemed very forced-sounding, so I tried a different tactic: I closed my eyes, put on sad music, and wrote exactly what I saw and how I would feel if I were Victoria. I tried to describe things the way I saw them as best as I could...but it turned out kind of weird. Please tell me what you think and how I can improve! Thanks!**

**So we left off with Plato about to give some very serious news to Victoria...mwahaha...ha.**

**Time to get to the disclaimer! I really hope you enjoy this chapter :) :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS, just Adolph and my other OCs ;D**

* * *

><p>Plato's serious manner is beginning to alarm me, so I tone down the giggling a bit and ask, "Tell me, Plato. I won't cry. I'll stay strong."<p>

"Victoria, listen to me," he starts. "About the—"

"Victoria, congratulations on your new mate!" Etcetera bounds up to me, linking arms with Pouncival.

"Oh, thank y—" But before I can finish, she's already skipped off with her own new mate to congratulate the next pair. I turn back to Plato with a small shrug and say, "Sorry, Plato. You were saying?"

He takes a deep breath and continues, "When Macavity came…the second time, I mean…I went—"

Bombalurina struts by us, her paw intertwined with Tumblebrutus's. The scarlet queen winks at me and says in her usual velvety voice, "Good choice, Victoria."

My cheeks turn such a bright shade of red that it would put any rose to shame. With a squeeze of my paws, Plato directs my attention back to him.

"Victoria, listen, okay?" he commands almost militaristically. "I chased after Macavity, because I didn't want him to ruin the Ball for everyone. We fought…and he kinda won…"

"Oh, Plato, no!" I exclaim, then catch sight of the tape keeping two of his fingers together. "Is that how you hurt your paw?"

He tugs his paw away from me and replies, "No, that's from before. He just knocked me out…And I, uh, didn't wake up until—"

"You were in time for the Mating Dance, though!" I say cheerily, yet Plato only loses eye contact with me and looks off to the side.

"Vicky…no, I wasn't. I didn't wake up until the end of Mistoffelees's song." With eyes as deeply dark as the dry desert skies, Plato gently positions his paws on my shoulders and says, "Macavity disguised himself as me, so he could…" He gulps and doesn't bother finishing the sentence.

I press my lips into a tight line and blink rapidly in order to keep myself from letting even a single silvery tear race down my cheek. "Do you mean that…."

"…That Macavity is your mate? Yes."

The tear halts to a stop in my eye. "He said that that wouldn't be our last dance…" I mumble quietly, referring to the time Misto and I were escaping with Tugger from Macavity's clutches.

"When did he say that?" Plato asks.

"Just…before," I reply, too wrapped-up in my own thoughts to give him the details. As for that tear in my eye—it seems to have disappeared. In fact, a small smile surprisingly tugs itself across my face.

"Victoria!" Plato snaps me back to my senses. "Vick, Macavity tricked you. _He's_ your mate. The same tom who kitnapped you in the first place—you are mated to _him_."

That same tear wells up in my eye again, now undecided as to which path it should take—down my face or back inside. "I…"

"You what, Victoria?" Plato asks, a vague hint of disgust in his voice.

Without warning, I turn my back on him and begin walking towards my den. "I need to rest," I plainly respond.

"Victoria, no. We need to talk about this," Plato calls after me, but he doesn't try to physically stop me.

"I want to rest," I reply softly. With one paw fingering my diamond-studded collar and the other gently swinging along to the beat of my steps, I continue to make a beeline for the pipe while staring down at the ground the entire time. A voice comes from my left: "Victoria, congratulations! You danced beautifully!" I don't know who it is; I just give a quiet "Thank you" and keep walking. Another Jellicle, older this time: "Victoria, I am very proud of you." I send out another thanks and keep my eyes locked to my back paws. I do feel a bit rude for giving my friends the cold shoulder, but right now my mind is jungled by the multitude of thoughts racing through my head, clashing with one another, and then producing new thoughts to cloud my brain some more.

_Why am I not crying? _I ask myself. _Plato's not my mate! Didn't I want him to be? Or did I not? Maybe all this time I have been wanting Macavity as my mate. He is the tom I say "I love you" to, and he is the one who made me this amazing collar. _

_But why am I smiling? Plato is basically my step-tomson! The tom who could have been my mate is now my kitten…_

_But why am I so befuddled? Macavity is my mate! He cares for me! _

_So does Plato…_

The paw by my side reaches up to cradle my head. Yellow spots begin to creep into sight and slowly edge their way to the center of my vision. _It's so bright…_

"Victoria!" a voice cries from behind. I don't have the energy to respond. Yellow spots turn black, and I eventually give in to the darkness and let myself be swept away into the magical world of sleep.

"_Stop making this difficult, you stupid pollicle!" the tom spits at me, backhanding me across the face so hard I helplessly fall to the floor of the warehouse. I tell myself not to whimper, not to beg or plead for mercy, because that is what these henchcats love the most. The copper tom leans in towards me and hisses, "If you Jellicles are as smart as you say you are, then you would just give up now and do what I say."_

_I bite my lip hard to keep tears from springing up in my eyes. "W-what does Macavity want? P-please tell me."_

_He yanks me up and begins dragging me to the doors of my room. "Nothing you would enjoy."_

_A moan slips out of me, followed by piercing wails and shrieks. "No!" I screech, pulling away from him. He wraps his arms around my waist and picks me up while I kick and scream deafeningly. "No! Stop!" He continues to haul me out of the room to take me to Macavity's office. "Plato, please stop! Plato!"_

I wake up with a big gasp for breath. That was quite possibly one of the worst experiences I had had at Macavity's warehouse. It happened before our first escape attempt, before Plato saw me as more than just the Napoleon of Crime's prisoner. And once we reached Macavity's office, I could do nothing but cry. The Hidden Paw forced information about the Jellicles out of me, and I remember how weak I felt for breaking. In fact, he might not have even crashed the Jellicle Ball if I had not cracked in front of him. It was me who told him what day it would be on, what time, who would be there.

"Victoria? Vicky, you awake?"

I snap back to reality and only now notice that the wall I am facing is not the same as the one in my den. I start to sit up, but my head throbs terribly, so I quickly lie back down. That is when I notice Mistoffelees is sitting on a stool beside the paitent's bed I am on. Behind him are Munkustrap, Alonzo, Adolph, and Jemima. Jemima says in a hushed tone, "Vicky? Are you all right?"

I blink a few times and roll on my side to face the Jellicles. "Hi, Jemmy," I reply with a meek smile.

"How's your head, Vick?" Adolph asks.

"It's better, thank you. I don't know why it hurts, though. I was just walking to my den for a catnap…"

"You fainted, Vicky," Mistoffelees explains. "You were wobbling this way and that, and then you just collapsed. I called your name but you wouldn't answer."

I nod, remembering the shouts of a tom from behind. Jennyanydots pushes her way through the crowd and places a damp cloth on my forehead. "Oh, you poor dearie," she says and shares a nervous look with Munkustrap.

"Thank you, Jenny. I am all right now. Thank you." I begin to get up again, but she pushes me back down.

"No, stay here and rest. Oh, you poor, poor thing," the orange tabby says again, tsking as she makes her way back to Munkustrap. I raise an eyebrow at Mistoffelees, wondering why Jenny was sympathizing me so much. Misto clasps his paw around mine and says, "She knows, Vicky."

I gulp. "That I…?"

My brother nearly crushes my paw with all his squeezing. "Yeah. We all do. Plato told us."

That tear from a while ago wells up in my eye again, and this time it dribbles down my cheek for good. "Where is Plato?"

"He has been told to wait outside, Victoria," Munkustrap answers. "We can't completely trust him yet. For all we know he could have been a part of Macavity's plan this whole time."

I try my best not to grit my teeth in front of the Jellicle Protector. "May I please see him, Munkustrap? _Please?_" I nearly beg. All of us kittens turn to look at the silver tabby with pleading eyes, even though Mistoffelees is a bit reluctant at first.

Munkustrap sighs and sternly replies, "No."

Luckily Jenny nudges the strong tabby with her elbow and murmurs to him, "The poor queen just got mated to the notorious Napoleon of Crime! At least let her see her…erm…_kitten_."

I cringe at the thought of that—Plato being my step-tomson. It really brings out the horrific side to this incident.

The loving queen pats Alonzo's back and pushes him towards the exit. "Alonzo, be a dear and go fetch Plato for Victoria."

The black and white patched tom suppresses a groan and exits the den. Upon arriving with the russet tom, they both shake wet droplets out of their fur, and yet they are still soaked to the bone.

"Thank you for leaving me out in the rain," Plato harshly snaps at the older Jellicles. "Much appreciated."

"Just be grateful we are letting you stay here at all," Munkustrap retorts, clenching and unclenching his fists in mild fury.

"Plato, sit," I tell him, and he obliges by dragging a stool to sit beside Mistoffelees, who might as well be his step-uncle. _No,_ I think. _This all seems so wrong. Plato and Mistoffelees as nephew and uncle…That can't be right. But why isn't it? If I really do love Macavity, then I shouldn't care._ I motion for Plato to lean in close. Beads of water spill from his headfur onto my face, now disguising the single tear that is still slowly trickling down my cheek. Once he's close enough, I support myself on one elbow and oh-so silently whisper into his ear, "I want to speak with Macavity."

The copper tom immediately sits back onto his stool with a sigh, then repeats my request into my brother's ear. The tuxedo tom blinks in bafflement for a few seconds. Then he turns to me and shakes his slightly but sternly. I don't fight back, because I know he is just looking out for me, and if Macavity harmed me in any way, he would feel responsible. I look back into Plato's eyes, waiting for a response from him. There is a sad, hopeless-looking glimmer in his brown eyes. _Was Plato…crying? _I wonder. I can't imagine how upset he must be. The queen he wished to be his mate is now his mother, and his father won once again. This heartbroken tom. I press my face into his paw, glad that he won't be able to distinguish my tears from the rain he brought in. I can hear Munkustrap quietly instruct, "Jemima, go back with Jenny to your room. Alonzo, take Adolph to your den along with Plato once he is ready. The rain is too heavy outside for someone to patrol. We'll just have to hope no one attacks tonight. Let's start heading out."

I miss Plato already. He is right beside me and yet I miss him. _Why?_ I ask myself. _What is the problem?_ With Macavity as my mate, he won't be the same. I hate to see the old Plato die out, and the only way I can stop that from happening is by separating with Macavity…and maybe I don't want that. And maybe that is why I am crying—no one will see me the same way. My reputation will go down the drain. I keep telling myself "Who cares?" but I can't help but not listen to myself.

"Victoria."

I look up into the sad eyes of Plato. He carefully runs a finger through my thick eyelashes. "Keep those grey eyes happy. Don't let those little moons stop shining." He wipes a wet droplet from my eye, and somehow he really does know that it is a tear and not the rain. Alonzo takes him away with Adolph, leaving Munkustrap and Mistoffelees in the room with me.

"Are you well enough to stand up, Victoria?" Munkustrap asks.

I weakly swing my legs over to the side of the bed and stand on my hind paws with support from Misto. After a nod of approval from Munkustrap, Mistoffelees helps me out of the infirmary and across the clearing to our pipe. We exchange good nights with the Jellicle Protector, then head off to our respective dens. Tightly holding paws once more, Misto and I dash across the clearing and shoot into the pipe one after another. Once safely inside, I instantly begin to feel a bit cozier now that I'm alone with Misto in our own little haven. Everything seems a little more…bittersweet. I slowly crumple to the ground and curl up into the fetal position on my cushion.

"Victoria," Mistoffelees begins, "I swear to the Everlasting Cat that I won't let Macavity lay a paw on you. I promise we will find a way to officially 'demate' you two."

I shake my head and face the opposite way. "Both cats have to agree. Macavity will never want us separated." _And maybe I don't either_.

"There has to be a loophole—"

"I don't think there is, Misto," I retort in the calmest way possible.

He kneels down beside me and strokes my fur. "I just don't want you hurt, sis."

"I-I know, Misto." I suddenly catch sight of a white blob sticking out from underneath my cushion. "Thanks."

"I know you feel it'll be hard to keep your self-pride, Vicky, but I will always be there for you. You know that, right?"

I absentmindedly nod and gingerly poke the white object. It crinkles slightly, like a sheet of paper.

"Just please don't stop being Vicky, okay? I don't want to lose my dear twin sister." Mistoffelees bends down and kisses my forehead before curling up next to me. "Good night, Victoria. Sweet dreams."

"Good night, Misto," I respond while silently extracting the slip of paper from underneath my cushion. "And I'm very happy for you and Electra, Misto. I really am. I'm sorry all this drama prevented you two from spending time together."

"It's fine, Vicky. Electra and I both understand. G'night," he says one more time before rolling onto his back and letting his eyes flutter shut. Keeping my back to him, I noiselessly unfold the piece of paper and recognize the stunning calligraphy almost right away. The note reads:

"_My beautiful Victoria,_

"_I cannot stay away from you for too long. Your dancing was sensational at the Ball, and everyone else loved it as well. It is proper for us as mates to meet and speak to each other as frequently as possible. I need you to meet me on top of the piano tonight. Once you arrive, I will protect you from the rain. With one touch, I will have your drenched alabaster coat turn as polished and silky as the robes of an angel. Make sure you are not seen. I have faith that you will come, my little angel._

_Yours truly ~NoC_

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><p><strong>I wouldn't blame you if you reviewed and said, "You seriously need to stop talking so much in your author's notes." xD Like really, I am half-expecting to get something like that. Haha sorry, but I love talking to you guys :)<strong>

**Anyway, how was it? Creepy? Dark? Weird? Something else? Please tell in a review! It doesn't have to be long, just one word is fine! xD Either "Love! *heart*" or "Hate hate HATE!" XD Okay I'm seriously going psycho...it's 1:11 AM...meh.**

**Thanks for reading! Please review :) :) :) Next update won't be until after I update The Jellicle Games, and I super promise that I won't ever abandon these stories once school starts! **

**Thanks! Stay tuned for more ;)**

**N.B.: Thank you to Guest 1 for pointing that out! XD Okay, sorry everyone, Misto is Plato's step-_uncle_, not step-brother. Haha sorry for the confusion. Thanks! :)**


	37. Voice of Reason

**A/N: I'M ALIIIIIIIIVE!**

***cough* Hiya! EC I just typed up a huge A/N and then I accidentally pressed the backspace button and it went back a page and everything got wiped out. Sadness :'(**

**But AH I missed you ALL! *hugs* Hehe. Did anybody do a double take when they saw this was updated? xD haha. I'm SO REALLY VERY SORRY for the late update! :( And to be honest, I'm kind of...not very happy with this chapter :/ There's just so much going on that it may be hard to keep up with things x( Sorry if there's any confusion. Mostly because there are a lot of italics in this chapter, and each time it shows up, it isn't always just Vicky's thoughts (hehe foreshadowing...kind of o_0)**

**And a note about my profile...One of the two laptops at my house is like...jetlagged xD Since August, my country of location has been switching from USA to Iran (on account of my going there over the summer) o_O I tried using the new feature that allows me to change countries, but it changes back after switching computers -_- haha. But, um, I'm from USA...so if anyone was confused about that...that's why ;) haha.**

**Thank you SO much to Valiya, Pink Schmetterling, CrazyIndigoChild, missMisto01, Bombastrap, Anony mouse101, Guest. 1, and sarbear2255 for recently reviewing! :) Oh, and Guest. 1 pointed something very important out: Plato is Mistoffelees's step-uncle, not step-brother ;D I have corrected that. Thanks ;) haha.**

**Plus thank you very very much to everyone who has read, reviewed, favorited, and followed! :) Your support means a whole lot to me! :D**

**We left off with Victoria receiving a note telling her to meet NoC under the junkyard piano. Let us see what happens next ;) I really hope you all enjoy this chapter! :) :) :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own CATS the musical ;)**

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><p><em>Napoleon of Crime<em>, I think, repeating the name in my head over and over again as my eyes scan over the letter once, twice, three more times. _Napoleon of Crime. Macavity. Macavity wants to see me. He wants…to see me! Tonight!_ I quickly scramble up and accidentally trip over my hind paws in excitement. _By the piano, by the piano,_ I remind myself, my legs automatically jolting in the direction of the exit and carrying my body out of the pipe. Outside, the pouring rain hammers down brutally, attempting to coax me into going back inside. In an act of defiance against nature, I slither up the great tire and hop down at the end. My hind paws devour the sparse weeds on the ground and leave burning tracks behind. But as I near the piano—the same one Tugger used to teach me to play—my pace slows a bit, and my mind is suddenly clouded with feelings of anxiety, as if I am about to meet someone for the first time. I am no longer going to see my kidnapper I fell in love with, but rather my _new mate_.

I halt to a stop just as the sight of the piano hits the corner of my eye.

_His ginger paw stifles my endless shrieking, but by now I am at the point where my voice is completely lost._

"_You will come back with me to my warehouse, and you will not attempt escape. I am sure a smart kitten like you would understand."_

Knitting my eyebrows together, my eyes wander aimlessly around the perimeter of the mini-clearing, then stop at my hind paws.

_I gently pry his paw off of my mouth. "The Jellicles will know that I'm missing."_

I nearly force my paw up and place it on one of the diamond studs on my collar. "I forgive him," I whisper through the torrential rain. With a small chuckle, I take a few more strides towards the piano. I can almost feel his presence; an unexpected shudder zips up my spine.

I take two steps back.

"_Not if they forget you—they won't."_

There is a tug on the back of my collar, followed by a chilly exhale into my ear. My breath gets caught in my throat. And then…

"Macavity!" I squeal, spinning on my heel and latching my arms around his neck. His typical faint scent of copper and iron is slightly intoxicating, and as much as it makes me dizzy, a sudden frisson of giddiness overwhelms me. I press my cheek into his shoulder, searching for warmth yet forgetting how freezing Macavity can be. His paw travels up and down my back, lathering a layer of ice around my body. He breaks away too soon, and I immediately hug him again.

"You danced so beautifully, my little angel," he whispers into my ear.

I inhale sharply as my ears dance upon hearing the wonderful compliment. "Plato, you were amazing! I don't think I—Did…I…I—"

The ginger pulls me away and holds me out at arm's length. The way his yellow eyes dig deep into my skin frighten me to the point where I have an urge to nibble away at my fingernail.

"What did you say?" the Napoleon of Crime hisses at me.

I find it difficult to lock my eyes with his. "'Plato'—I-I'm sorry—"

He yanks be back towards him and bares his fangs. "Who am I?" he questions me.

"Y-you're Macavity, I know tha—"

His claws dig into my arms. "Who am I?!"

His bellowing blows into my face like a strong gust of wind, so fierce that it lets loose a couple of teardrops. "M-my mate, Macavity! I know you are," I mumble, flinching as a raindrop plops into my eye. Macavity sighs in exasperation and cranes his neck upwards to glare at the sky. The Jellicle Moon is no longer guarding over us, and instead has hibernated to the corners of the earth until nighttime arrives. The deep grey clouds, however, are not planning to disperse anytime soon.

"Come," Macavity says, although I can barely hear him over the sound of rain pounding against my eardrums. His paw tangles up with mine as he leads me to the half-broken piano so we can take shelter under it. The showers instantly mute once we huddle together under the piano, watching the blur of the raindrops crashing down from the inky sky. In the east, the faintest tinges of pale blue and pink can be seen, signaling that dawn will arrive in just over an hour. And then the new Jellicle year will begin.

"Will we always have to be like this?" I murmur, tightly wrapping my arms around my knees.

"Hiding out?" Macavity says, holding me close with a carroty arm.

I nod, leaning closer to his side. "Are we going to tell them one day? I want the Jellicles to know, and at the same time…I don't."

Macavity only rubs my shoulder comfortingly in response.

I look up at him. "They are trying to separate us, Macavity."

"We won't let that happen."

"Then…then we have to tell them! We need to show them that…we really do care about each other." I pound my forehead against my knees and stare down at my lap. "But I'm afraid they will get mad." I lift my head up and face Macavity, who hasn't uttered a reply yet. "Can I tell my brother? Misto and I don't keep secrets from each other." The Hidden Paw still remains silent. "I can tell him that I really do love you, Macavity. Will that be alright?"

Macavity finally turns his head and kisses my temple softly. "No, my angel. The consequences are too great."

I press myself closer to his body and rest my head on his shoulder. Even with the harsh torrent surrounding us, tranquility somehow manages to twist its way into the setting and settle upon us. A small smile plays on my lips as my head falls to his chest, and our breathing becomes one soothing rhythm. Macavity strokes my cheek gently and heaves a sigh. The touch of his fingers on my face instantly brings back memories; the uneven beat of the rain's music helps me relive them…

_Drip, drip…drip. Drip…drip drip drip…_

_I sit huddled in the corner of my cell as drops of water leak from the floor above. I attempt to swallow my tears and focus on the rhythm of the drips._

_Drip, drip…drip…drip…_

_I begin to sputter helplessly to no one but myself. The sputtering turns into a cough, then ultimately into tears. Each teardrop adds to the incessant dripping noise. _

_Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, drip…_

_Something brushes against my cheek. I squeeze my eyes shut as the paw strokes my face gently, mopping up tears and running through my eyelashes._

"_You'll be all right, Victoria, okay?" the henchcat says, pressing his fingers against my right cheek._

"_No, Plato, I won't be. I'm not going to survive here. I know I won't," I cry, . "I-I wanna go home. I-I can't d-do this anymore."_

"_Victoria." Plato takes hold of my wrists and pulls them away from my face. "You're going to get out, okay? I'll help you, I promise." _

We tried. We tried so hard to live out in the alleys.

But we were caught a week later.

The whirling wind collects tin cans from a pile of junk and deposits them elsewhere, letting them clatter against one another. My shivering intensifies, making me cuddle even closer to the ginger tom. But I only get colder. _I wish Plato were here_, I think to myself. _He would keep me warm. He always does._

Eventually the raining begins to slacken, and an orange light now peers over the edge of the junkyard fence. With one last look at my new mate, my eyelids flutter shut, and I give in to a world of peaceful slumber.

"Everlasting Cat! Victoria? Why are you under the piano? And you're so…wet."

I mumble something incomprehensive before opening my eyes a sliver. I rotate my body around to settle in a more comfortable position, but I am only met with damp, gross dirt.

"Ew!" I cry, scrambling up from under the piano and wiping the mucky dirt off my mouth and face. After rapidly scrubbing my mouth, I twist my head from side to side and notice a certain tom is no longer there with me.

"Where is Mac—" I stop myself just as my eyes make contact with Misto's. I can't let him know I was with Macavity last night. "…maaaah collar. Where is my collar?" I quickly cover up my mistake, earning a mental slap from myself.

Mistoffelees chuckles, his shoulders bouncing up and down heartily. "It's around your neck, Vicky. Where it always is. Now tell me why you are under the piano! I woke up and didn't see you in our den!"

_Hurry, think of an excuse! But I can't lie to Mistoffelees…HURRY! SAY SOMETHING! _"Fresh air!" I nearly shout. Mistoffelees raises an eyebrow at the volume of my voice. I clear my throat and continue, "The air looked…very fresh after it rained last night, so I came here…and it was cold, so I went under the piano." I gesture towards the musical instrument with my paw and force myself to look him in the eye. He knits his eyebrows together in doubt.

"Because, you know," I explain further, "my fur—it-it is white, and it's hard to absorb heat—"

"Victoria," Mistoffelees says sternly, stepping towards me. "You need to tell me. You shouldn't go far from the clearing all by yourself! Macavity might hunt you down and kitnap you again." A breeze rolls by and gently tousles his headfur. "You promised you would never keep any secrets from me. Will you tell me the truth for once?"

I roll my lower lip inwards and bite down on it, unsure of what to say. "I _am_. I _am_ telling the truth." Lying to my brother is beginning to eat away at me. I feel…disgusting. But if I tell him I was with Macavity, I will only be more rotten in Mistoffelees's eyes.

"Victoria, I _really_ didn't want to do this," the tuxedo cat begins, "but I'm going to take you to see Coricopat and Tantomile."

My paliptating heart beats louder and faster as I struggle to defend myself. "Why don't you believe me, Mistoffelees?" I squeeze my eyes shut, wishing lightning would strike me right then and there. "I just came for fresh air! I don't need to be checked by Cori and Tanto!"

The constant throbbing of my heart echoes throughout my body and screams into my ears. A fresh layer of tears is slowly glazing over my grey eyes.

After slight hesitation, Mistoffelees grabs my arm and pleads, "Vicky, I'm worried about you. Please just see Cori and Tanto. _For me_."

I pull my lips into a tight, thin line to prevent any sobbing noises from slipping out. "Now?"

"Yes, they're at the TSE-1. It won't take long, I promise." The conjuring cat drags me behind him without my consent, weaving in-between mountains of junk while sprouts of weeds tickle my hind paws with dewdrops. Tears flee from the corners of my eyes as Mistoffelees and I sprint to the clearing, where Coricopat and Tantomile—to my astonishment—are in the public, sitting on the TSE-1 and mentally chatting with one another.

"Good morning, Coricopat, Tantomile," Mistoffelees greets them politely.

He nudges me with my elbow. "Hello. Happy Jellicle New Year," I manage to say with a semi-convincing smile.

They jump down from the car and nod to me in synch. "Good morning to you, too."

Mistoffelees gently shoves me towards the psychics. "My sis has been a little… _mendacious_ lately." I shoot him a glare, then instantly regret it. "Since yesterday, I think we have all been concerned for her safety. Has Macavity been messing with her mind or threatening her in any way?"

The twins both place a single paw on my shoulder and sit me down on the bumper of the TSE-1. "We will find out. Close your eyes," they order me.

My ankles twist and wreathe around each other as I dread what may follow. "What are you going to do?" I ask.

"Victoria, don't be difficult," Mistoffelees scolds me. "Coricopat and Tantomile know what they're doing. You can trust them."

"But I just want to know what they—"

"We will first measure your Galvanic skin response and resistance to electricity."

"Next we will pinpoint principal areas in your mind where your thoughts are processed and generated."

"We will enter your mind and see if you have been threatened by Macavity telepathically."

"And also find why you have been acting so…"

"_Mendacious_," Mistoffelees fills in for Tantomile.

"Yes, _mendacious_."

I dart my eyes back and forth between the two mystic twins, incapable of processing over half of the words they used. "Will it hurt?"

They laugh simultaneously for a second or two, then abruptly stop and reply, "No." Tantomile places her paws on my head while Coricopat clasps his paws around mine.

_I can't let them know I love Mac. I can't let them know_. "Wait! Stop!" I tear away from them and begin scrambling up the TSE-1, but the psychics harshly pull me down yet again.

"You cannot leave in the middle of a procedure!" Tantomile chastises me with a light thwack to my ear.

"You absolutely _cannot_ exit under _any_ circumstances!" her brother clarifies.

"Victoria, it's okay," Mistoffelees attempts to calm me. "We're trying to help you. Just stay still."

I huff rudely and let the twins continue with the procedure. Only once I hear Tantomile murmur, "Can you get a clear visual?" I jump back with a shriek.

"Victoria!" all three cats yell at me.

Our racket has invited a few more Jellicles strolling by to come watch. Not wanting to be the center of attention any longer, I shush myself and hope that they will simply wander away with a shrug. I cautiously sit back down on the bumper, attempting to fight against the apprehensiveness gnawing at my heart—and mind.

"Remain—"

"—still."

I break a sweat and sink my teeth into my tongue, hoping—_praying—_my secrets will not be revealed. Coricopat and Tantomile reposition themselves and continue with the procedure, this time the former stating that he does in fact have a "clear visual" of my mind. I catch sight of Misto out of the corner of my eye, and he sends me a reassuring smile in return.

Moments later, Tantomile cries out, "I've found something!"

I freeze up and widen my eyes. "What did you—"

"Shh!"

My mouth thins to the point where it can no longer be seen, thus making my face look like a clean whiteboard if not for the copper accents over my eyelids.

"Oh my…"

"Oh my…"

_Oh no_. "Stop!" I shout, squirming around in an attempt to weaken their grip on me. "Wait!"

"We must inform—"

"—Old Deuteronomy—"

"I can explain!" I shriek, at last tearing away from the psychics and scrabbling up the TSE-1. "I can explain!"

Only then do I notice a majority of the Jellicles have crowded around, drawn to the junkyard car after the numerous fits I threw.

"Vicky?" Jemima addresses me, concerned. "Are you okay?"

"Munku!" Etcetera shouts over the crowd. "Munku, what's going on? What's wrong with Vicky?"

"Yeah, is Vicky okay?" Electra asks, clasping her paws together over her heart.

"Coricopat! Tantomile!" Munkustrap hollers. "You only use your powers for emergencies. What could possibly be the matter?"

"It is only the first day of the Jellicle New Year!" Demeter exclaims. "We should be celebrating!"

"Not hypnotizing cats!" Bombalurina adds.

A wave of questions at once swells up and crashes down onto the twins and I, drowning us in their multitude of demands and queries. As the wave recedes, it drags something along back with it—something I can't quite place my finger on. Something like…

_Your insanity?_

I curl myself up into a ball on the hood of the car, crushing my paws against my ears so tightly that my elbows press into each other in front of my face. No, no…not this again…

"Please, please!" Tantomile shouts over the Jellicles' bombardment of questions. "We have rather…"

"…interesting…" her brother fills in.

"…news for you. Regarding our very own Victoria."

"Please share with us," Munkustrap says as he steps forward and stands directly in front of the psychics.

"Yes, please do!"

"We are concerned for our Vicky!" someone weeps.

"The event that just took place," Coricopat announces, "was not hypnotization. We were searching through Victoria's mind, fearful that Macavity has been corrupting her."

"As most of you probably know," Tantomile continues for her brother, "Macavity recently tricked Victoria into becoming mates at yesterday's Ball." There is a collective nod from the crowd.

"Cori and Tanto, I don't mean to rush you," Mistoffelees interrupts, "but please, tell us why Victoria has been acting this way."

_Don't let them reveal your secret, Victoria_, that familiar voice commands me._ If those pollicles tell them you enjoy being Macavity's mate, you'll look disgusting. Do whatever it takes to keep their mouths shut._

"The truth is…" Tantomile says.

_Stop them, Victoria. Now._

"No!" I screech, lunging for the queen below me. But just as my hind paws disconnect from the ground, a powerful force yanks me back while a paw claps over my mouth.

"Tell them already," Plato orders, holding me back every time I propel myself forward.

_How dare Plato enjoy seeing you hurt, watching you writhe in frustration and anger_, the voice points out, gradually molding my mind back into the form it was when I first became schizophrenic. _That sick pollicle. You ought to hate him._

At last, Coricopat and Tantomile shout together:

"Victoria is deeply in love with Macavity."

A lone tear dribbles down the short distance from my eye to Plato's paw still plastered onto my face.

Munkustrap mumbles, "Everlasting Cat…" Demeter begins bawling. Bombalurina tries to comfort her as she continuously shoots glares in my direction. The kittens are just…bewildered. Why must my ordeals and sufferings entwine with their innocent lives?

Plato releases me and steps back. I stare at the Jellicles before me with a pitiful expression, then I look at Plato. He gazes right into my eyes with no shame whatsoever, no guilt, and yet no pride. I choke out a sob, a noise that shatters Plato's heart to bits. I dart from the clearing, trying to get away from all the voices that surround and penetrate me. They roar my name into the sky but refuse to follow me nevertheless. And the only thing that is louder than the yelling is the sound of pawsteps from behind me, getting louder as each painful second ticks by.

* * *

><p><strong>...So...Whoa o_O<strong>

**A thousand things just happened in this chapter at once...**

**To clear things up, there were two flashbacks in this chapter (one at the beginning where Vick was first being kidnapped, another later on while Victoria was in the warehouse and Plato was warming up to her).**

**And Vicky's schizophrenia is back :O Wuh-oh...**

**Oh, and when I write the "voice" in Victoria's head, it will be writing in, I guess, 2nd person, while Vicky's thoughts are usually in 1st. So that's one way to distinguish the two italicized stuff from one another ;) ;)**

**Reviews are really appreciated! They make me happy as a clam :{D haha. If you have any questions, comments, and/or critique, feel free to review! :) **

**Oh, and did anybody get the part where I wrote, "His typical faint scent of copper and iron..."? Well basically...that's the scent of blood o_O Kinda gruesome...but it also fits Macavity ^_^**

**Thank you very much to my readers! You guys ROCK! :D :D Stay tuned for more! :) There may actually be some fluff in the next chapter xD Shocking, I know. **

**Ooh, and I recently put up a poll to see who people would like Victoria to end up with! So if you'd like to take part in it, you can go to my profile! Thanks! :D**

**Until next time! Please review and tell me what you thought, and thanks for reading! :) :) :)**


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